Multi-dimensional object rearrangement

ABSTRACT

A method includes displaying a user interface including a plurality of application icons for launching application programs. The plurality of application icons include a first application icon displayed at a first size and a second application icon displayed at a second size, the first and second application icons arranged in a first arrangement. While displaying the user interface, detecting a set of one or more user inputs. In response to the set of one or more user inputs, rearranging the first and second application icons into a second arrangement, different than the first arrangement, where rearranging the first and second application icons includes displaying the first application icon at a third size, greater than the first size, and displaying the second application icon at a fourth size, greater than the second size.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/130,838, entitled “MULTI-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT REARRANGEMENT,” filedSep. 13, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/641,287, entitled “MULTI-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT REARRANGEMENT,” filedMar. 6, 2015, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 62/044,987, entitled “MULTI-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT REARRANGEMENT,” filedSep. 2, 2014. The contents of which are hereby incorporated by referencein their entireties.

This application relates to the following applications: InternationalPatent Application Serial No. PCT/US2013/040087, entitled “Device,Method, and Graphical User Interface for Moving a User Interface ObjectBased on an Intensity of a Press Input,” filed May 8, 2013;International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US2013/040072, entitled“Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Providing Feedback forChanging Activation States of a User Interface Object,” filed May 8,2013; International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US2013/040070,entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for ProvidingTactile Feedback for Operations Performed in a User Interface,” filedMay 8, 2013; International Patent Application Serial No.PCT/US2013/040067, entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical UserInterface for Facilitating User Interaction with Controls in a UserInterface,” filed May 8, 2013; International Patent Application SerialNo. PCT/US2013/040061, entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical UserInterface for Displaying User Interface Objects Corresponding to anApplication,” filed May 8, 2013; International Patent Application SerialNo. PCT/US2013/040058, entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical UserInterface for Displaying Additional Information in Response to a UserContact,” filed May 8, 2013; International Patent Application Serial No.PCT/US2013/040056, entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical UserInterface for Scrolling Nested Regions,” filed May 8, 2013;International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US2013/040054, entitled“Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Manipulating FramedGraphical Objects,” filed May 8, 2013; International Patent ApplicationSerial No. PCT/US2013/069489, entitled “Device, Method, and GraphicalUser Interface for Switching Between User Interfaces,” filed Nov. 11,2013; International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US2013/069486,entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for DeterminingWhether to Scroll or Select Content,” filed Nov. 11, 2013; InternationalPatent Application Serial No. PCT/US2013/069484, entitled “Device,Method, and Graphical User Interface for Moving a Cursor According to aChange in an Appearance of a Control Icon with SimulatedThree-Dimensional Characteristics,” filed Nov. 11, 2013; InternationalPatent Application Serial No. PCT/US2013/069483, entitled “Device,Method, and Graphical User Interface for Transitioning Between TouchInput to Display Output Relationships,” filed Nov. 11, 2013;International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US2013/069479, entitled“Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Forgoing Generation ofTactile Output for a Multi-Contact Gesture,” filed Nov. 11, 2013;International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US2013/069472, entitled“Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Navigating UserInterface Hierarchies,” filed Nov. 11, 2013; International PatentApplication Serial No. PCT/US2013/040108, entitled “Device, Method, andGraphical User Interface for Moving and Dropping a User InterfaceObject,” filed May 8, 2013; International Patent Application Serial No.PCT/US2013/040101, entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical UserInterface for Selecting User Interface Objects,” filed May 8, 2013;International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US2013/040098, entitled“Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Displaying ContentAssociated with a Corresponding Affordance,” filed May 8, 2013;International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US2013/040093, entitled“Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Transitioning BetweenDisplay States in Response to a Gesture,” filed May 8, 2013;International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US2013/040053, entitled“Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Selecting Objectwithin a Group of Objects,” filed May 8, 2013; U.S. Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/778,211, entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical UserInterface for Facilitating User Interaction with Controls in a UserInterface,” filed Mar. 12, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.61/778,191, entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface forDisplaying User Interface Objects Corresponding to an Application,”filed Mar. 12, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/778,171,entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for DisplayingAdditional Information in Response to a User Contact,” filed Mar. 12,2013; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/778,179, entitled “Device,Method and Graphical User Interface for Scrolling Nested Regions,” filedMar. 12, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/778,156, entitled“Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Manipulating FramedGraphical Objects,” filed Mar. 12, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Ser.No. 61/778,125, entitled “Device, Method, And Graphical User Interfacefor Navigating User Interface Hierarchies,” filed Mar. 12, 2013; U.S.Patent Application Ser. No. 61/778,092, entitled “Device, Method, andGraphical User Interface for Selecting Object Within a Group ofObjects,” filed Mar. 12, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.61/778,418, entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface forSwitching Between User Interfaces,” filed Mar. 13, 2013; U.S. PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/778,416, entitled “Device, Method, and GraphicalUser Interface for Determining Whether to Scroll or Select Content,”filed Mar. 13, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/747,278,entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for ManipulatingUser Interface Objects with Visual and/or Haptic Feedback,” filed Dec.29, 2012; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/778,414, entitled “Device,Method, and Graphical User Interface for Moving and Dropping a UserInterface Object,” filed Mar. 13, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.61/778,413, entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface forSelecting User Interface Objects,” filed Mar. 13, 2013; U.S. PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/778,412, entitled “Device, Method, and GraphicalUser Interface for Displaying Content Associated with a CorrespondingAffordance,” filed Mar. 13, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.61/778,373, entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface forManaging Activation of a Control Based on Contact Intensity,” filed Mar.12, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/778,265, entitled “Device,Method, and Graphical User Interface for Transitioning Between DisplayStates in Response to a Gesture,” filed Mar. 12, 2013; U.S. PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/778,367, entitled “Device, Method, and GraphicalUser Interface for Moving a User Interface Object Based on an Intensityof a Press Input,” filed Mar. 12, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.61/778,363, entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface forTransitioning Between Touch Input to Display Output Relationships,”filed Mar. 12, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/778,287,entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for ProvidingFeedback for Changing Activation States of a User Interface Object,”filed Mar. 12, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/778,284,entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for ProvidingTactile Feedback for Operations Performed in a User Interface,” filedMar. 12, 2013; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/778,239, entitled“Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Forgoing Generation ofTactile Output for a Multi-Contact Gesture,” filed Mar. 12, 2013; U.S.Patent Application Ser. No. 61/688,227, entitled “Device, Method, andGraphical User Interface for Manipulating User Interface Objects withVisual and/or Haptic Feedback,” filed May 9, 2012; U.S. PatentApplication No. 62/005,958, “Canned Answers in Messages,” filed May 30,2014. The content of these applications are hereby incorporated byreference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present disclosure relates generally to computer user interfaces,and more specifically to techniques and user interface screens forreconfiguring user interface objects.

2. Description of Related Art

Modern electronic devices may include the ability to store, access,and/or run a large number of application programs. The applications maybe launched by selecting respective icons displayed on a user interfacescreen of a device. Accordingly, a screen may include a large number ofdisplayed application icons. A user may desire for the icons to bedisplayed in a particular arrangement so that, for example, the icons ofthe most frequently used applications are displayed in a position thatare easy to locate and select (e.g., the top or center of the display).Thus, there is a need for techniques that allow a user to easily andefficiently rearrange icons displayed on a user interface to desiredlocations.

In addition, recent advances in computer technology have enabledmanufacturers to produce such electronic devices in relatively smallform factors. One challenge created by a small form factor, is that thedisplay may be small, which can make it difficult for a user to view andposition icons in the desired locations.

Thus, there is a need for user-friendly techniques and reduced size userinterfaces for displaying and reconfiguring user interface objects suchas application icons on devices with small form factors.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In some embodiments, a method comprises: at an electronic device with atouch-sensitive display: displaying on the display a plurality ofapplication icons for launching application programs, the applicationicons arranged in a first configuration, wherein the application iconsoccupy respective locations on a hexagonal grid in relation to anorigin; detecting a first input on the touch-sensitive display; inresponse to detecting the first input, causing the electronic device tooperate in a user interface reconfiguration mode for reconfiguring theapplication icons on the display; detecting a second input on thetouch-sensitive display representing a selection of a first applicationicon at a first location on the hexagonal grid; in response to thesecond input, removing the display of the first application icon;determining a second configuration of the application icons without thefirst application icon, wherein a sum of the distances from the originof the application icons in the first configuration, minus the distancefrom the origin of the first application icon in the firstconfiguration, is greater than a sum of the distances from the origin ofthe application icons in the second configuration; and transitioning thedisplay of the plurality of application icons from the firstconfiguration to the second configuration.

In some embodiments, a method comprises: at an electronic device with atouch-sensitive display: displaying, on the display, a plurality ofapplication icons in a user interface reconfiguration mode forreconfiguring the application icons on the display, wherein theplurality of application icons occupy respective locations on ahexagonal grid; detecting a user contact on the touch-sensitive displayat a first position corresponding to a first application icon at a firstlocation on the hexagonal grid; while continuing to detect the usercontact, detecting movement of the user contact from the first positionto a second position without a break in contact of the user contact onthe touch-sensitive display, the second position corresponding to asecond application icon at a second location on the hexagonal grid; inresponse to detecting movement of the user contact from the firstposition to the second position: translating the display of the firstapplication icon from the first location to the second position; andmoving the display of the second application icon to the first location.

In some embodiments, a method comprises: at an electronic device with adisplay: displaying, on the display, a plurality of application icons ina user interface reconfiguration mode for reconfiguring the applicationicons on the display, the plurality of application icons occupyingrespective locations on a hexagonal grid; detecting a user contact onthe touch-sensitive display at a first position corresponding to a firstapplication icon at a first location on the hexagonal grid; whilecontinuing to detect the user contact, detecting movement of the usercontact from the first position to a second position without a break incontact of the user contact on the touch-sensitive display, the secondposition corresponding to a second location on the hexagonal grid,wherein the second location is unoccupied; in response to detectingmovement of the user contact from the first position to the secondposition, translating the display of the first application icon from thefirst location to the second position; detecting a break in contact ofthe user contact on the touch-sensitive display; in response to thebreak in contact of the user contact on the touch-sensitive display,determining whether there are less than two occupied locations adjacentto the second location; in accordance with a determination that thereare less than two occupied locations adjacent to the second location:determining a third location on the hexagonal grid having at least twoadjacent locations that are occupied; and moving the display of thefirst application icon to the third location on the hexagonal grid.

In some embodiments, a method comprises: at an electronic device with atouch-sensitive display: displaying, on the display, a plurality ofapplication icons in a user interface reconfiguration mode forreconfiguring the application icons on the display, the applicationicons arranged in a first configuration, wherein the application iconsoccupy respective locations on a hexagonal grid in relation to anorigin, and wherein the application icons have corresponding ranks basedon their respective locations in relation to the origin; detecting auser contact on the touch-sensitive display at a first positioncorresponding to a first application icon at a first location on thehexagonal grid; while continuing to detect the user contact, detectingmovement of the user contact from the first position to a secondposition without a break in contact of the user contact on thetouch-sensitive display, the second position corresponding to a secondapplication icon at a second location on the hexagonal grid; in responseto detecting movement of the user contact from the first position to thesecond position: translating the display of the first application iconfrom the first location to the second position; determining a secondconfiguration of the application icons based on the first location andthe second location; and transitioning the display of the applicationicons from the first configuration to the second configuration, wherein,in the second configuration, no application icon except the firstapplication icon is displaced by more than one location relative to thefirst configuration, and wherein transitioning the display of theapplication icons from the first configuration to the secondconfiguration comprises: moving the display of the second applicationicon to a third location adjacent to the second location; and moving adisplay of a third application icon to the first location from a fourthlocation adjacent to the first location.

In some embodiments, a method comprises: at an electronic device with atouch-sensitive display: displaying one or more application icons in ahexagonal arrangement; detecting a first input on the touch-sensitivedisplay; and in response to the first input: causing the electronicdevice to operate in a user interface reconfiguration mode forreconfiguring the application icons on the display; and causing thedisplay of the first application icon to fluctuate in size.

In some embodiments, a method comprises: at an electronic device with atouch-sensitive display, wherein the touch-sensitive display comprisesone or more sensors to detect the intensity of contacts with thetouch-sensitive display: displaying one or more application icons in ahexagonal arrangement; detecting, on the touch-sensitive display, atouch corresponding to a selection of a first application iconcorresponding to a respective application; determining whether the touchhas a characteristic intensity above a threshold intensity; and inaccordance with a determination that the characteristic intensity isabove the threshold intensity, removing the display of the selectedicon.

In some embodiments, a method comprises: at an electronic device with atouch-sensitive display, wherein the touch-sensitive display comprisesone or more sensors to detect the intensity of contacts with thetouch-sensitive display: displaying one or more application icons in ahexagonal arrangement; detecting, on the touch-sensitive display, afirst touch; determining whether the touch has a characteristicintensity above a threshold intensity; and in accordance with adetermination that the characteristic intensity is above the thresholdintensity, displaying a deletion confirmation affordance.

In some embodiments, a system comprises means for performing any of themethods described above.

In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumcomprises instructions for performing the methods described above. Insome embodiments, a system comprises the non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium; and one or more processors capable ofexecuting the instructions of the non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

For a better understanding of the various described embodiments,reference should be made to the Description of Embodiments below, inconjunction with the following drawings in which like reference numeralsrefer to corresponding parts throughout the figures.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating a portable multifunction devicewith a touch-sensitive display in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating exemplary components for eventhandling in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates a portable multifunction device having atouch-sensitive display in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary multifunction device with adisplay and a touch-sensitive surface in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary user interface for a menu ofapplications on a portable multifunction device in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 4B illustrates an exemplary user interface for a multifunctiondevice with a touch-sensitive surface that is separate from the displayin accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 5A is a block diagram illustrating a portable multifunction devicewith a touch-sensitive display and a rotatable input mechanism inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 5B illustrates a portable multifunction device having atouch-sensitive display and a rotatable input mechanism in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary hexagonal grid in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary user interface with a plurality of userinterface objects arranged on a hexagonal grid in accordance with someembodiments.

FIGS. 8A-8D illustrate exemplary techniques for reconfiguring a userinterface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate exemplary techniques for reconfiguring a userinterface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 10A-10D illustrate exemplary techniques for reconfiguring a userinterface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 11A-11D illustrate exemplary techniques for reconfiguring a userinterface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 12A-12D illustrate exemplary techniques for reconfiguring a userinterface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 13A-13D illustrate exemplary techniques for reconfiguring a userinterface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 14A-14D illustrate exemplary techniques for reconfiguring a userinterface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 15A-15C illustrate exemplary techniques for reconfiguring a userinterface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 16 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for reconfiguring auser interface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 17 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for reconfiguring auser interface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 18 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for reconfiguring auser interface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 19 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for reconfiguring auser interface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 20 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for reconfiguring auser interface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 21 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for reconfiguring auser interface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 22 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for reconfiguring auser interface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 23 is a functional block diagram of an electronic device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 24 is a functional block diagram of an electronic device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 25 is a functional block diagram of an electronic device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 26 is a functional block diagram of an electronic device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 27 is a functional block diagram of an electronic device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 28 is a functional block diagram of an electronic device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 29 is a functional block diagram of an electronic device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 30 is a functional block diagram of an electronic device inaccordance with some embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The following description sets forth exemplary methods, parameters andthe like. It should be recognized, however, that such description is notintended as a limitation on the scope of the present disclosure but isinstead provided as a description of exemplary embodiments.

Below, FIGS. 1A-1B, 2, 3, 4A-4B, and 5A-5B provide a description ofexemplary devices that may perform techniques associated withreconfiguring a user interface. FIGS. 6-15 illustrate exemplarytechniques for reconfiguring user interfaces, including rearranging userinterface objects such as application icons. The user interfaces in thefigures are also used to illustrate the processes described below,including the processes in FIGS. 16-22.

Although the following description uses terms “first,” “second,” etc. todescribe various elements, these elements should not be limited by theterms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element fromanother. For example, a first touch could be termed a second touch, and,similarly, a second touch could be termed a first touch, withoutdeparting from the scope of the various described embodiments. The firsttouch and the second touch are both touches, but they are not the sametouch.

The terminology used in the description of the various describedembodiments herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in thedescription of the various described embodiments and the appendedclaims, the singular forms “a”, “an,” and “the” are intended to includethe plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will also be understood that the term “and/or” as usedherein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations ofone or more of the associated listed items. It will be furtherunderstood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and/or“comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence ofstated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/orcomponents, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or moreother features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components,and/or groups thereof.

The term “if” may be construed to mean “when” or “upon” or “in responseto determining” or “in response to detecting,” depending on the context.Similarly, the phrase “if it is determined” or “if [a stated conditionor event] is detected” may be construed to mean “upon determining” or“in response to determining” or “upon detecting [the stated condition orevent]” or “in response to detecting [the stated condition or event],”depending on the context.

Embodiments of electronic devices, user interfaces for such devices, andassociated processes for using such devices are described. In someembodiments, the device is a portable communications device, such as amobile telephone, that also contains other functions, such as PDA and/ormusic player functions. Exemplary embodiments of portable multifunctiondevices include, without limitation, the iPhone®, iPod Touch®, and iPad®devices from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. Other portable electronicdevices, such as laptops or tablet computers with touch-sensitivesurfaces (e.g., touch screen displays and/or touchpads), are,optionally, used. It should also be understood that, in someembodiments, the device is not a portable communications device, but isa desktop computer with a touch-sensitive surface (e.g., a touch screendisplay and/or a touchpad).

In the discussion that follows, an electronic device that includes adisplay and a touch-sensitive surface is described. It should beunderstood, however, that the electronic device optionally includes oneor more other physical user-interface devices, such as a physicalkeyboard, a mouse, and/or a joystick.

The device may support a variety of applications, such as one or more ofthe following: a drawing application, a presentation application, a wordprocessing application, a website creation application, a disk authoringapplication, a spreadsheet application, a gaming application, atelephone application, a video conferencing application, an e-mailapplication, an instant messaging application, a workout supportapplication, a photo management application, a digital cameraapplication, a digital video camera application, a web browsingapplication, a digital music player application, and/or a digital videoplayer application.

The various applications that are executed on the device optionally useat least one common physical user-interface device, such as thetouch-sensitive surface. One or more functions of the touch-sensitivesurface as well as corresponding information displayed on the deviceare, optionally, adjusted and/or varied from one application to the nextand/or within a respective application. In this way, a common physicalarchitecture (such as the touch-sensitive surface) of the deviceoptionally supports the variety of applications with user interfacesthat are intuitive and transparent to the user.

Attention is now directed toward embodiments of portable devices withtouch-sensitive displays. FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustratingportable multifunction device 100 with touch-sensitive display system112 in accordance with some embodiments. Touch-sensitive display 112 issometimes called a “touch screen” for convenience and is sometimes knownas or called a “touch-sensitive display system.” Device 100 includesmemory 102 (which optionally includes one or more computer-readablestorage mediums), memory controller 122, one or more processing units(CPUs) 120, peripherals interface 118, RF circuitry 108, audio circuitry110, speaker 111, microphone 113, input/output (I/O) subsystem 106,other input control devices 116, and external port 124. Device 100optionally includes one or more optical sensors 164. Device 100optionally includes one or more contact intensity sensors 165 fordetecting intensity of contacts on device 100 (e.g., a touch-sensitivesurface such as touch-sensitive display system 112 of device 100).Device 100 optionally includes one or more tactile output generators 167for generating tactile outputs on device 100 (e.g., generating tactileoutputs on a touch-sensitive surface such as touch-sensitive displaysystem 112 of device 100 or touchpad 355 of device 300). Thesecomponents optionally communicate over one or more communication busesor signal lines 103.

As used in the specification and claims, the term “intensity” of acontact on a touch-sensitive surface refers to the force or pressure(force per unit area) of a contact (e.g., a finger contact) on thetouch-sensitive surface, or to a substitute (proxy) for the force orpressure of a contact on the touch-sensitive surface. The intensity of acontact has a range of values that includes at least four distinctvalues and more typically includes hundreds of distinct values (e.g., atleast 256). Intensity of a contact is, optionally, determined (ormeasured) using various approaches and various sensors or combinationsof sensors. For example, one or more force sensors underneath oradjacent to the touch-sensitive surface are, optionally, used to measureforce at various points on the touch-sensitive surface. In someimplementations, force measurements from multiple force sensors arecombined (e.g., a weighted average) to determine an estimated force of acontact. Similarly, a pressure-sensitive tip of a stylus is, optionally,used to determine a pressure of the stylus on the touch-sensitivesurface. Alternatively, the size of the contact area detected on thetouch-sensitive surface and/or changes thereto, the capacitance of thetouch-sensitive surface proximate to the contact and/or changes thereto,and/or the resistance of the touch-sensitive surface proximate to thecontact and/or changes thereto are, optionally, used as a substitute forthe force or pressure of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface. Insome implementations, the substitute measurements for contact force orpressure are used directly to determine whether an intensity thresholdhas been exceeded (e.g., the intensity threshold is described in unitscorresponding to the substitute measurements). In some implementations,the substitute measurements for contact force or pressure are convertedto an estimated force or pressure, and the estimated force or pressureis used to determine whether an intensity threshold has been exceeded(e.g., the intensity threshold is a pressure threshold measured in unitsof pressure). Using the intensity of a contact as an attribute of a userinput allows for user access to additional device functionality that mayotherwise not be accessible by the user on a reduced-size device withlimited real estate for displaying affordances (e.g., on atouch-sensitive display) and/or receiving user input (e.g., via atouch-sensitive display, a touch-sensitive surface, or aphysical/mechanical control such as a knob or a button).

As used in the specification and claims, the term “tactile output”refers to physical displacement of a device relative to a previousposition of the device, physical displacement of a component (e.g., atouch-sensitive surface) of a device relative to another component(e.g., housing) of the device, or displacement of the component relativeto a center of mass of the device that will be detected by a user withthe user's sense of touch. For example, in situations where the deviceor the component of the device is in contact with a surface of a userthat is sensitive to touch (e.g., a finger, palm, or other part of auser's hand), the tactile output generated by the physical displacementwill be interpreted by the user as a tactile sensation corresponding toa perceived change in physical characteristics of the device or thecomponent of the device. For example, movement of a touch-sensitivesurface (e.g., a touch-sensitive display or trackpad) is, optionally,interpreted by the user as a “down click” or “up click” of a physicalactuator button. In some cases, a user will feel a tactile sensationsuch as an “down click” or “up click” even when there is no movement ofa physical actuator button associated with the touch-sensitive surfacethat is physically pressed (e.g., displaced) by the user's movements. Asanother example, movement of the touch-sensitive surface is, optionally,interpreted or sensed by the user as “roughness” of the touch-sensitivesurface, even when there is no change in smoothness of thetouch-sensitive surface. While such interpretations of touch by a userwill be subject to the individualized sensory perceptions of the user,there are many sensory perceptions of touch that are common to a largemajority of users. Thus, when a tactile output is described ascorresponding to a particular sensory perception of a user (e.g., an “upclick,” a “down click,” “roughness”), unless otherwise stated, thegenerated tactile output corresponds to physical displacement of thedevice or a component thereof that will generate the described sensoryperception for a typical (or average) user.

It should be appreciated that device 100 is only one example of aportable multifunction device, and that device 100 optionally has moreor fewer components than shown, optionally combines two or morecomponents, or optionally has a different configuration or arrangementof the components. The various components shown in FIG. 1A areimplemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both hardware andsoftware, including one or more signal processing and/orapplication-specific integrated circuits.

Memory 102 may include one or more computer-readable storage mediums.The computer-readable storage mediums may be tangible andnon-transitory. Memory 102 may include high-speed random access memoryand may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magneticdisk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatilesolid-state memory devices. Memory controller 122 may control access tomemory 102 by other components of device 100.

Peripherals interface 118 can be used to couple input and outputperipherals of the device to CPU 120 and memory 102. The one or moreprocessors 120 run or execute various software programs and/or sets ofinstructions stored in memory 102 to perform various functions fordevice 100 and to process data. In some embodiments, peripheralsinterface 118, CPU 120, and memory controller 122 may be implemented ona single chip, such as chip 104. In some other embodiments, they may beimplemented on separate chips.

RF (radio frequency) circuitry 108 receives and sends RF signals, alsocalled electromagnetic signals. RF circuitry 108 converts electricalsignals to/from electromagnetic signals and communicates withcommunications networks and other communications devices via theelectromagnetic signals. RF circuitry 108 optionally includes well-knowncircuitry for performing these functions, including but not limited toan antenna system, an RF transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner,one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a CODEC chipset, asubscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory, and so forth. RFcircuitry 108 optionally communicates with networks, such as theInternet, also referred to as the World Wide Web (WWW), an intranetand/or a wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network, awireless local area network (LAN) and/or a metropolitan area network(MAN), and other devices by wireless communication. The RF circuitry 108optionally includes well-known circuitry for detecting near fieldcommunication (NFC) fields, such as by a short-range communicationradio. The wireless communication optionally uses any of a plurality ofcommunications standards, protocols, and technologies, including but notlimited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced DataGSM Environment (EDGE), high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA),high-speed uplink packet access (HSUPA), Evolution, Data-Only (EV-DO),HSPA, HSPA+, Dual-Cell HSPA (DC-HSPDA), long term evolution (LTE), nearfield communication (NFC), wideband code division multiple access(W-CDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multipleaccess (TDMA), Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE), Wireless Fidelity(Wi-Fi) (e.g., IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n,and/or IEEE 802.11ac), voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Wi-MAX, aprotocol for e-mail (e.g., Internet message access protocol (IMAP)and/or post office protocol (POP)), instant messaging (e.g., extensiblemessaging and presence protocol (XMPP), Session Initiation Protocol forInstant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE), InstantMessaging and Presence Service (IMPS)), and/or Short Message Service(SMS), or any other suitable communication protocol, includingcommunication protocols not yet developed as of the filing date of thisdocument.

Audio circuitry 110, speaker 111, and microphone 113 provide an audiointerface between a user and device 100. Audio circuitry 110 receivesaudio data from peripherals interface 118, converts the audio data to anelectrical signal, and transmits the electrical signal to speaker 111.Speaker 111 converts the electrical signal to human-audible sound waves.Audio circuitry 110 also receives electrical signals converted bymicrophone 113 from sound waves. Audio circuitry 110 converts theelectrical signal to audio data and transmits the audio data toperipherals interface 118 for processing. Audio data may be retrievedfrom and/or transmitted to memory 102 and/or RF circuitry 108 byperipherals interface 118. In some embodiments, audio circuitry 110 alsoincludes a headset jack (e.g., 212, FIG. 2). The headset jack providesan interface between audio circuitry 110 and removable audioinput/output peripherals, such as output-only headphones or a headsetwith both output (e.g., a headphone for one or both ears) and input(e.g., a microphone).

I/O subsystem 106 couples input/output peripherals on device 100, suchas touch screen 112 and other input control devices 116, to peripheralsinterface 118. I/O subsystem 106 optionally includes display controller156, optical sensor controller 158, intensity sensor controller 159,haptic feedback controller 161, and one or more input controllers 160for other input or control devices. The one or more input controllers160 receive/send electrical signals from/to other input control devices116. The other input control devices 116 optionally include physicalbuttons (e.g., push buttons, rocker buttons, etc.), dials, sliderswitches, joysticks, click wheels, and so forth. In some alternateembodiments, input controller(s) 160 are, optionally, coupled to any (ornone) of the following: a keyboard, an infrared port, a USB port, and apointer device such as a mouse. The one or more buttons (e.g., 208, FIG.2) optionally include an up/down button for volume control of speaker111 and/or microphone 113. The one or more buttons optionally include apush button (e.g., 206, FIG. 2).

A quick press of the push button may disengage a lock of touch screen112 or begin a process that uses gestures on the touch screen to unlockthe device, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/322,549,“Unlocking a Device by Performing Gestures on an Unlock Image,” filedDec. 23, 2005, U.S. Pat. No. 7,657,849, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety. A longer press of the push button (e.g., 206)may turn power to device 100 on or off. The user may be able tocustomize a functionality of one or more of the buttons. Touch screen112 is used to implement virtual or soft buttons and one or more softkeyboards.

Touch-sensitive display 112 provides an input interface and an outputinterface between the device and a user. Display controller 156 receivesand/or sends electrical signals from/to touch screen 112. Touch screen112 displays visual output to the user. The visual output may includegraphics, text, icons, video, and any combination thereof (collectivelytermed “graphics”). In some embodiments, some or all of the visualoutput may correspond to user-interface objects.

Touch screen 112 has a touch-sensitive surface, sensor, or set ofsensors that accepts input from the user based on haptic and/or tactilecontact. Touch screen 112 and display controller 156 (along with anyassociated modules and/or sets of instructions in memory 102) detectcontact (and any movement or breaking of the contact) on touch screen112 and convert the detected contact into interaction withuser-interface objects (e.g., one or more soft keys, icons, web pages,or images) that are displayed on touch screen 112. In an exemplaryembodiment, a point of contact between touch screen 112 and the usercorresponds to a finger of the user.

Touch screen 112 may use LCD (liquid crystal display) technology, LPD(light emitting polymer display) technology, or LED (light emittingdiode) technology, although other display technologies may be used inother embodiments. Touch screen 112 and display controller 156 maydetect contact and any movement or breaking thereof using any of aplurality of touch sensing technologies now known or later developed,including but not limited to capacitive, resistive, infrared, andsurface acoustic wave technologies, as well as other proximity sensorarrays or other elements for determining one or more points of contactwith touch screen 112. In an exemplary embodiment, projected mutualcapacitance sensing technology is used, such as that found in theiPhone® and iPod Touch® from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.

A touch-sensitive display in some embodiments of touch screen 112 may beanalogous to the multi-touch sensitive touchpads described in thefollowing U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,846 (Westerman et al.), U.S. Pat. No.6,570,557 (Westerman et al.), and/or U.S. Pat. No. 6,677,932(Westerman), and/or U.S. Patent Publication 2002/0015024A1, each ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. However,touch screen 112 displays visual output from device 100, whereastouch-sensitive touchpads do not provide visual output.

A touch-sensitive display in some embodiments of touch screen 112 may beas described in the following applications: (1) U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/381,313, “Multipoint Touch Surface Controller,” filed May 2,2006; (2) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/840,862, “MultipointTouchscreen,” filed May 6, 2004; (3) U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/903,964, “Gestures For Touch Sensitive Input Devices,” filed Jul. 30,2004; (4) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/048,264, “Gestures ForTouch Sensitive Input Devices,” filed Jan. 31, 2005; (5) U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/038,590, “Mode-Based Graphical User InterfacesFor Touch Sensitive Input Devices,” filed Jan. 18, 2005; (6) U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/228,758, “Virtual Input Device Placement On ATouch Screen User Interface,” filed Sep. 16, 2005; (7) U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/228,700, “Operation Of A Computer With A TouchScreen Interface,” filed Sep. 16, 2005; (8) U.S. patent application Ser.No. 11/228,737, “Activating Virtual Keys Of A Touch-Screen VirtualKeyboard,” filed Sep. 16, 2005; and (9) U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/367,749, “Multi-Functional Hand-Held Device,” filed Mar. 3, 2006. Allof these applications are incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety.

Touch screen 112 may have a video resolution in excess of 100 dpi. Insome embodiments, the touch screen has a video resolution ofapproximately 160 dpi. The user may make contact with touch screen 112using any suitable object or appendage, such as a stylus, a finger, andso forth. In some embodiments, the user interface is designed to workprimarily with finger-based contacts and gestures, which can be lessprecise than stylus-based input due to the larger area of contact of afinger on the touch screen. In some embodiments, the device translatesthe rough finger-based input into a precise pointer/cursor position orcommand for performing the actions desired by the user.

In some embodiments, in addition to the touch screen, device 100 mayinclude a touchpad (not shown) for activating or deactivating particularfunctions. In some embodiments, the touchpad is a touch-sensitive areaof the device that, unlike the touch screen, does not display visualoutput. The touchpad may be a touch-sensitive surface that is separatefrom touch screen 112 or an extension of the touch-sensitive surfaceformed by the touch screen.

Device 100 also includes power system 162 for powering the variouscomponents. Power system 162 may include a power management system, oneor more power sources (e.g., battery, alternating current (AC)), arecharging system, a power failure detection circuit, a power converteror inverter, a power status indicator (e.g., a light-emitting diode(LED)) and any other components associated with the generation,management and distribution of power in portable devices.

Device 100 may also include one or more optical sensors 164. FIG. 1Ashows an optical sensor coupled to optical sensor controller 158 in I/Osubsystem 106. Optical sensor 164 may include charge-coupled device(CCD) or complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)phototransistors. Optical sensor 164 receives light from theenvironment, projected through one or more lenses, and converts thelight to data representing an image. In conjunction with imaging module143 (also called a camera module), optical sensor 164 may capture stillimages or video. In some embodiments, an optical sensor is located onthe back of device 100, opposite touch screen display 112 on the frontof the device so that the touch screen display may be used as aviewfinder for still and/or video image acquisition. In someembodiments, an optical sensor is located on the front of the device sothat the user's image may be obtained for video conferencing while theuser views the other video conference participants on the touch screendisplay. In some embodiments, the position of optical sensor 164 can bechanged by the user (e.g., by rotating the lens and the sensor in thedevice housing) so that a single optical sensor 164 may be used alongwith the touch screen display for both video conferencing and stilland/or video image acquisition.

Device 100 optionally also includes one or more contact intensitysensors 165. FIG. 1A shows a contact intensity sensor coupled tointensity sensor controller 159 in I/O subsystem 106. Contact intensitysensor 165 optionally includes one or more piezoresistive strain gauges,capacitive force sensors, electric force sensors, piezoelectric forcesensors, optical force sensors, capacitive touch-sensitive surfaces, orother intensity sensors (e.g., sensors used to measure the force (orpressure) of a contact on a touch-sensitive surface). Contact intensitysensor 165 receives contact intensity information (e.g., pressureinformation or a proxy for pressure information) from the environment.In some embodiments, at least one contact intensity sensor is collocatedwith, or proximate to, a touch-sensitive surface (e.g., touch-sensitivedisplay system 112). In some embodiments, at least one contact intensitysensor is located on the back of device 100, opposite touch screendisplay 112, which is located on the front of device 100.

Device 100 may also include one or more proximity sensors 166. FIG. 1Ashows proximity sensor 166 coupled to peripherals interface 118.Alternately, proximity sensor 166 may be coupled to input controller 160in I/O subsystem 106. Proximity sensor 166 may perform as described inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/241,839, “Proximity Detector InHandheld Device”; Ser. No. 11/240,788, “Proximity Detector In HandheldDevice”; Ser. No. 11/620,702, “Using Ambient Light Sensor To AugmentProximity Sensor Output”; Ser. No. 11/586,862, “Automated Response ToAnd Sensing Of User Activity In Portable Devices”; and Ser. No.11/638,251, “Methods And Systems For Automatic Configuration OfPeripherals,” which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety. In some embodiments, the proximity sensor turns off anddisables touch screen 112 when the multifunction device is placed nearthe user's ear (e.g., when the user is making a phone call).

Device 100 optionally also includes one or more tactile outputgenerators 167. FIG. 1A shows a tactile output generator coupled tohaptic feedback controller 161 in I/O subsystem 106. Tactile outputgenerator 167 optionally includes one or more electroacoustic devicessuch as speakers or other audio components and/or electromechanicaldevices that convert energy into linear motion such as a motor,solenoid, electroactive polymer, piezoelectric actuator, electrostaticactuator, or other tactile output generating component (e.g., acomponent that converts electrical signals into tactile outputs on thedevice). Contact intensity sensor 165 receives tactile feedbackgeneration instructions from haptic feedback module 133 and generatestactile outputs on device 100 that are capable of being sensed by a userof device 100. In some embodiments, at least one tactile outputgenerator is collocated with, or proximate to, a touch-sensitive surface(e.g., touch-sensitive display system 112) and, optionally, generates atactile output by moving the touch-sensitive surface vertically (e.g.,in/out of a surface of device 100) or laterally (e.g., back and forth inthe same plane as a surface of device 100). In some embodiments, atleast one tactile output generator sensor is located on the back ofdevice 100, opposite touch screen display 112, which is located on thefront of device 100.

Device 100 may also include one or more accelerometers 168. FIG. 1Ashows accelerometer 168 coupled to peripherals interface 118.Alternately, accelerometer 168 may be coupled to an input controller 160in I/O subsystem 106. Accelerometer 168 may perform as described in U.S.Patent Publication No. 20050190059, “Acceleration-based Theft DetectionSystem for Portable Electronic Devices,” and U.S. Patent Publication No.20060017692, “Methods And Apparatuses For Operating A Portable DeviceBased On An Accelerometer,” both of which are incorporated by referenceherein in their entirety. In some embodiments, information is displayedon the touch screen display in a portrait view or a landscape view basedon an analysis of data received from the one or more accelerometers.Device 100 optionally includes, in addition to accelerometer(s) 168, amagnetometer (not shown) and a GPS (or GLONASS or other globalnavigation system) receiver (not shown) for obtaining informationconcerning the location and orientation (e.g., portrait or landscape) ofdevice 100.

In some embodiments, the software components stored in memory 102include operating system 126, communication module (or set ofinstructions) 128, contact/motion module (or set of instructions) 130,graphics module (or set of instructions) 132, text input module (or setof instructions) 134, Global Positioning System (GPS) module (or set ofinstructions) 135, and applications (or sets of instructions) 136.Furthermore, in some embodiments, memory 102 (FIG. 1A) or 370 (FIG. 3)stores device/global internal state 157, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 3.Device/global internal state 157 includes one or more of: activeapplication state, indicating which applications, if any, are currentlyactive; display state, indicating what applications, views or otherinformation occupy various regions of touch screen display 112; sensorstate, including information obtained from the device's various sensorsand input control devices 116; and location information concerning thedevice's location and/or attitude.

Operating system 126 (e.g., DARWIN, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX, OS X, iOS,WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as VXWORKS) includesvarious software components and/or drivers for controlling and managinggeneral system tasks (e.g., memory management, storage device control,power management, etc.) and facilitates communication between varioushardware and software components.

Communication module 128 facilitates communication with other devicesover one or more external ports 124 and also includes various softwarecomponents for handling data received by RF circuitry 108 and/orexternal port 124. External port 124 (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB),FIREWIRE, etc.) is adapted for coupling directly to other devices orindirectly over a network (e.g., the Internet, wireless LAN, etc.). Insome embodiments, the external port is a multi-pin (e.g., 30-pin)connector that is the same as, or similar to and/or compatible with, the30-pin connector used on iPod® (trademark of Apple Inc.) devices.

Contact/motion module 130 optionally detects contact with touch screen112 (in conjunction with display controller 156) and othertouch-sensitive devices (e.g., a touchpad or physical click wheel).Contact/motion module 130 includes various software components forperforming various operations related to detection of contact, such asdetermining if contact has occurred (e.g., detecting a finger-downevent), determining an intensity of the contact (e.g., the force orpressure of the contact or a substitute for the force or pressure of thecontact), determining if there is movement of the contact and trackingthe movement across the touch-sensitive surface (e.g., detecting one ormore finger-dragging events), and determining if the contact has ceased(e.g., detecting a finger-up event or a break in contact).Contact/motion module 130 receives contact data from the touch-sensitivesurface. Determining movement of the point of contact, which isrepresented by a series of contact data, optionally includes determiningspeed (magnitude), velocity (magnitude and direction), and/or anacceleration (a change in magnitude and/or direction) of the point ofcontact. These operations are, optionally, applied to single contacts(e.g., one finger contacts) or to multiple simultaneous contacts (e.g.,“multitouch”/multiple finger contacts). In some embodiments,contact/motion module 130 and display controller 156 detect contact on atouchpad.

In some embodiments, contact/motion module 130 uses a set of one or moreintensity thresholds to determine whether an operation has beenperformed by a user (e.g., to determine whether a user has “clicked” onan icon). In some embodiments, at least a subset of the intensitythresholds are determined in accordance with software parameters (e.g.,the intensity thresholds are not determined by the activation thresholdsof particular physical actuators and can be adjusted without changingthe physical hardware of device 100). For example, a mouse “click”threshold of a trackpad or touch screen display can be set to any of alarge range of predefined threshold values without changing the trackpador touch screen display hardware. Additionally, in some implementations,a user of the device is provided with software settings for adjustingone or more of the set of intensity thresholds (e.g., by adjustingindividual intensity thresholds and/or by adjusting a plurality ofintensity thresholds at once with a system-level click “intensity”parameter).

Contact/motion module 130 optionally detects a gesture input by a user.Different gestures on the touch-sensitive surface have different contactpatterns (e.g., different motions, timings, and/or intensities ofdetected contacts). Thus, a gesture is, optionally, detected bydetecting a particular contact pattern. For example, detecting a fingertap gesture includes detecting a finger-down event followed by detectinga finger-up (liftoff) event at the same position (or substantially thesame position) as the finger-down event (e.g., at the position of anicon). As another example, detecting a finger swipe gesture on thetouch-sensitive surface includes detecting a finger-down event followedby detecting one or more finger-dragging events, and subsequentlyfollowed by detecting a finger-up (liftoff) event.

Graphics module 132 includes various known software components forrendering and displaying graphics on touch screen 112 or other display,including components for changing the visual impact (e.g., brightness,transparency, saturation, contrast, or other visual property) ofgraphics that are displayed. As used herein, the term “graphics”includes any object that can be displayed to a user, including, withoutlimitation, text, web pages, icons (such as user-interface objectsincluding soft keys), digital images, videos, animations, and the like.

In some embodiments, graphics module 132 stores data representinggraphics to be used. Each graphic is, optionally, assigned acorresponding code. Graphics module 132 receives, from applicationsetc., one or more codes specifying graphics to be displayed along with,if necessary, coordinate data and other graphic property data, and thengenerates screen image data to output to display controller 156.

Haptic feedback module 133 includes various software components forgenerating instructions used by tactile output generator(s) 167 toproduce tactile outputs at one or more locations on device 100 inresponse to user interactions with device 100.

Text input module 134, which may be a component of graphics module 132,provides soft keyboards for entering text in various applications (e.g.,contacts 137, e-mail 140, IM 141, browser 147, and any other applicationthat needs text input).

GPS module 135 determines the location of the device and provides thisinformation for use in various applications (e.g., to telephone 138 foruse in location-based dialing; to camera 143 as picture/video metadata;and to applications that provide location-based services such as weatherwidgets, local yellow page widgets, and map/navigation widgets).

Applications 136 may include the following modules (or sets ofinstructions), or a subset or superset thereof:

-   -   Contacts module 137 (sometimes called an address book or contact        list);    -   Telephone module 138;    -   Video conference module 139;    -   E-mail client module 140;    -   Instant messaging (IM) module 141;    -   Workout support module 142;    -   Camera module 143 for still and/or video images;    -   Image management module 144;    -   Video player module;    -   Music player module;    -   Browser module 147;    -   Calendar module 148;    -   Widget modules 149, which may include one or more of: weather        widget 149-1, stocks widget 149-2, calculator widget 149-3,        alarm clock widget 149-4, dictionary widget 149-5, and other        widgets obtained by the user, as well as user-created widgets        149-6;    -   Widget creator module 150 for making user-created widgets 149-6;    -   Search module 151;    -   Video and music player module 152, which merges video player        module and music player module;    -   Notes module 153;    -   Map module 154; and/or    -   Online video module 155.

Examples of other applications 136 that may be stored in memory 102include other word processing applications, other image editingapplications, drawing applications, presentation applications,JAVA-enabled applications, encryption, digital rights management, voicerecognition, and voice replication.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156,contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module134, contacts module 137 may be used to manage an address book orcontact list (e.g., stored in application internal state 192 of contactsmodule 137 in memory 102 or memory 370), including: adding name(s) tothe address book; deleting name(s) from the address book; associatingtelephone number(s), e-mail address(es), physical address(es) or otherinformation with a name; associating an image with a name; categorizingand sorting names; providing telephone numbers or e-mail addresses toinitiate and/or facilitate communications by telephone 138, videoconference module 139, e-mail 140, or IM 141; and so forth.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, audio circuitry 110, speaker 111,microphone 113, touch screen 112, display controller 156, contact/motionmodule 130, graphics module 132, and text input module 134, telephonemodule 138 may be used to enter a sequence of characters correspondingto a telephone number, access one or more telephone numbers in contactsmodule 137, modify a telephone number that has been entered, dial arespective telephone number, conduct a conversation, and disconnect orhang up when the conversation is completed. As noted above, the wirelesscommunication may use any of a plurality of communications standards,protocols, and technologies.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, audio circuitry 110, speaker 111,microphone 113, touch screen 112, display controller 156, optical sensor164, optical sensor controller 158, contact/motion module 130, graphicsmodule 132, text input module 134, contacts module 137, and telephonemodule 138, video conference module 139 includes executable instructionsto initiate, conduct, and terminate a video conference between a userand one or more other participants in accordance with user instructions.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, and textinput module 134, e-mail client module 140 includes executableinstructions to create, send, receive, and manage e-mail in response touser instructions. In conjunction with image management module 144,e-mail client module 140 makes it very easy to create and send e-mailswith still or video images taken with camera module 143.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, and textinput module 134, the instant messaging module 141 includes executableinstructions to enter a sequence of characters corresponding to aninstant message, to modify previously entered characters, to transmit arespective instant message (for example, using a Short Message Service(SMS) or Multimedia Message Service (MMS) protocol for telephony-basedinstant messages or using XMPP, SIMPLE, or IMPS for Internet-basedinstant messages), to receive instant messages, and to view receivedinstant messages. In some embodiments, transmitted and/or receivedinstant messages may include graphics, photos, audio files, video filesand/or other attachments as are supported in an MMS and/or an EnhancedMessaging Service (EMS). As used herein, “instant messaging” refers toboth telephony-based messages (e.g., messages sent using SMS or MMS) andInternet-based messages (e.g., messages sent using XMPP, SIMPLE, orIMPS).

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, textinput module 134, GPS module 135, map module 154, and music playermodule, workout support module 142 includes executable instructions tocreate workouts (e.g., with time, distance, and/or calorie burninggoals); communicate with workout sensors (sports devices); receiveworkout sensor data; calibrate sensors used to monitor a workout; selectand play music for a workout; and display, store, and transmit workoutdata.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156, opticalsensor(s) 164, optical sensor controller 158, contact/motion module 130,graphics module 132, and image management module 144, camera module 143includes executable instructions to capture still images or video(including a video stream) and store them into memory 102, modifycharacteristics of a still image or video, or delete a still image orvideo from memory 102.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156,contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, text input module 134,and camera module 143, image management module 144 includes executableinstructions to arrange, modify (e.g., edit), or otherwise manipulate,label, delete, present (e.g., in a digital slide show or album), andstore still and/or video images.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, and textinput module 134, browser module 147 includes executable instructions tobrowse the Internet in accordance with user instructions, includingsearching, linking to, receiving, and displaying web pages or portionsthereof, as well as attachments and other files linked to web pages.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, textinput module 134, e-mail client module 140, and browser module 147,calendar module 148 includes executable instructions to create, display,modify, and store calendars and data associated with calendars (e.g.,calendar entries, to-do lists, etc.) in accordance with userinstructions.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, textinput module 134, and browser module 147, widget modules 149 aremini-applications that may be downloaded and used by a user (e.g.,weather widget 149-1, stocks widget 149-2, calculator widget 149-3,alarm clock widget 149-4, and dictionary widget 149-5) or created by theuser (e.g., user-created widget 149-6). In some embodiments, a widgetincludes an HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) file, a CSS (CascadingStyle Sheets) file, and a JavaScript file. In some embodiments, a widgetincludes an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file and a JAVASCRIPT file(e.g., YAHOO! Widgets).

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, textinput module 134, and browser module 147, the widget creator module 150may be used by a user to create widgets (e.g., turning a user-specifiedportion of a web page into a widget).

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156,contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module134, search module 151 includes executable instructions to search fortext, music, sound, image, video, and/or other files in memory 102 thatmatch one or more search criteria (e.g., one or more user-specifiedsearch terms) in accordance with user instructions.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156,contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, audio circuitry 110,speaker 111, RF circuitry 108, and browser module 147, video and musicplayer module 152 includes executable instructions that allow the userto download and play back recorded music and other sound files stored inone or more file formats, such as MP3 or AAC files, and executableinstructions to display, present, or otherwise play back videos (e.g.,on touch screen 112 or on an external, connected display via externalport 124). In some embodiments, device 100 optionally includes thefunctionality of an MP3 player, such as an iPod (trademark of AppleInc.).

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156,contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module134, notes module 153 includes executable instructions to create andmanage notes, to-do lists, and the like in accordance with userinstructions.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, textinput module 134, GPS module 135, and browser module 147, map module 154may be used to receive, display, modify, and store maps and dataassociated with maps (e.g., driving directions, data on stores and otherpoints of interest at or near a particular location, and otherlocation-based data) in accordance with user instructions.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156,contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, audio circuitry 110,speaker 111, RF circuitry 108, text input module 134, e-mail clientmodule 140, and browser module 147, online video module 155 includesinstructions that allow the user to access, browse, receive (e.g., bystreaming and/or download), play back (e.g., on the touch screen or onan external, connected display via external port 124), send an e-mailwith a link to a particular online video, and otherwise manage onlinevideos in one or more file formats, such as H.264. In some embodiments,instant messaging module 141, rather than e-mail client module 140, isused to send a link to a particular online video. Additional descriptionof the online video application can be found in U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/936,562, “Portable Multifunction Device, Method, andGraphical User Interface for Playing Online Videos,” filed Jun. 20,2007, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/968,067, “PortableMultifunction Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for PlayingOnline Videos,” filed Dec. 31, 2007, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

Each of the above-identified modules and applications corresponds to aset of executable instructions for performing one or more functionsdescribed above and the methods described in this application (e.g., thecomputer-implemented methods and other information processing methodsdescribed herein). These modules (e.g., sets of instructions) need notbe implemented as separate software programs, procedures, or modules,and thus various subsets of these modules may be combined or otherwiserearranged in various embodiments. For example, video player module maybe combined with music player module into a single module (e.g., videoand music player module 152, FIG. 1A). In some embodiments, memory 102may store a subset of the modules and data structures identified above.Furthermore, memory 102 may store additional modules and data structuresnot described above.

In some embodiments, device 100 is a device where operation of apredefined set of functions on the device is performed exclusivelythrough a touch screen and/or a touchpad. By using a touch screen and/ora touchpad as the primary input control device for operation of device100, the number of physical input control devices (such as push buttons,dials, and the like) on device 100 may be reduced.

The predefined set of functions that are performed exclusively through atouch screen and/or a touchpad optionally include navigation betweenuser interfaces. In some embodiments, the touchpad, when touched by theuser, navigates device 100 to a main, home, or root menu from any userinterface that is displayed on device 100. In such embodiments, a “menubutton” is implemented using a touchpad. In some other embodiments, themenu button is a physical push button or other physical input controldevice instead of a touchpad.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating exemplary components for eventhandling in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments,memory 102 (FIG. 1A) or 370 (FIG. 3) includes event sorter 170 (e.g., inoperating system 126) and a respective application 136-1 (e.g., any ofthe aforementioned applications 137-151, 155, 380-390).

Event sorter 170 receives event information and determines theapplication 136-1 and application view 191 of application 136-1 to whichto deliver the event information. Event sorter 170 includes eventmonitor 171 and event dispatcher module 174. In some embodiments,application 136-1 includes application internal state 192, whichindicates the current application view(s) displayed on touch-sensitivedisplay 112 when the application is active or executing. In someembodiments, device/global internal state 157 is used by event sorter170 to determine which application(s) is (are) currently active, andapplication internal state 192 is used by event sorter 170 to determineapplication views 191 to which to deliver event information.

In some embodiments, application internal state 192 includes additionalinformation, such as one or more of: resume information to be used whenapplication 136-1 resumes execution, user interface state informationthat indicates information being displayed or that is ready for displayby application 136-1, a state queue for enabling the user to go back toa prior state or view of application 136-1, and a redo/undo queue ofprevious actions taken by the user.

Event monitor 171 receives event information from peripherals interface118. Event information includes information about a sub-event (e.g., auser touch on touch-sensitive display 112, as part of a multi-touchgesture). Peripherals interface 118 transmits information it receivesfrom I/O subsystem 106 or a sensor, such as proximity sensor 166,accelerometer(s) 168, and/or microphone 113 (through audio circuitry110). Information that peripherals interface 118 receives from I/Osubsystem 106 includes information from touch-sensitive display 112 or atouch-sensitive surface.

In some embodiments, event monitor 171 sends requests to the peripheralsinterface 118 at predetermined intervals. In response, peripheralsinterface 118 transmits event information. In other embodiments,peripherals interface 118 transmits event information only when there isa significant event (e.g., receiving an input above a predeterminednoise threshold and/or for more than a predetermined duration).

In some embodiments, event sorter 170 also includes a hit viewdetermination module 172 and/or an active event recognizer determinationmodule 173.

Hit view determination module 172 provides software procedures fordetermining where a sub-event has taken place within one or more viewswhen touch-sensitive display 112 displays more than one view. Views aremade up of controls and other elements that a user can see on thedisplay.

Another aspect of the user interface associated with an application is aset of views, sometimes herein called application views or userinterface windows, in which information is displayed and touch-basedgestures occur. The application views (of a respective application) inwhich a touch is detected may correspond to programmatic levels within aprogrammatic or view hierarchy of the application. For example, thelowest level view in which a touch is detected may be called the hitview, and the set of events that are recognized as proper inputs may bedetermined based, at least in part, on the hit view of the initial touchthat begins a touch-based gesture.

Hit view determination module 172 receives information related tosub-events of a touch-based gesture. When an application has multipleviews organized in a hierarchy, hit view determination module 172identifies a hit view as the lowest view in the hierarchy which shouldhandle the sub-event. In most circumstances, the hit view is the lowestlevel view in which an initiating sub-event occurs (e.g., the firstsub-event in the sequence of sub-events that form an event or potentialevent). Once the hit view is identified by the hit view determinationmodule 172, the hit view typically receives all sub-events related tothe same touch or input source for which it was identified as the hitview.

Active event recognizer determination module 173 determines which viewor views within a view hierarchy should receive a particular sequence ofsub-events. In some embodiments, active event recognizer determinationmodule 173 determines that only the hit view should receive a particularsequence of sub-events. In other embodiments, active event recognizerdetermination module 173 determines that all views that include thephysical location of a sub-event are actively involved views, andtherefore determines that all actively involved views should receive aparticular sequence of sub-events. In other embodiments, even if touchsub-events were entirely confined to the area associated with oneparticular view, views higher in the hierarchy would still remain asactively involved views.

Event dispatcher module 174 dispatches the event information to an eventrecognizer (e.g., event recognizer 180). In embodiments including activeevent recognizer determination module 173, event dispatcher module 174delivers the event information to an event recognizer determined byactive event recognizer determination module 173. In some embodiments,event dispatcher module 174 stores in an event queue the eventinformation, which is retrieved by a respective event receiver 182.

In some embodiments, operating system 126 includes event sorter 170.Alternatively, application 136-1 includes event sorter 170. In yet otherembodiments, event sorter 170 is a stand-alone module, or a part ofanother module stored in memory 102, such as contact/motion module 130.

In some embodiments, application 136-1 includes a plurality of eventhandlers 190 and one or more application views 191, each of whichincludes instructions for handling touch events that occur within arespective view of the application's user interface. Each applicationview 191 of the application 136-1 includes one or more event recognizers180. Typically, a respective application view 191 includes a pluralityof event recognizers 180. In other embodiments, one or more of eventrecognizers 180 are part of a separate module, such as a user interfacekit (not shown) or a higher level object from which application 136-1inherits methods and other properties. In some embodiments, a respectiveevent handler 190 includes one or more of: data updater 176, objectupdater 177, GUI updater 178, and/or event data 179 received from eventsorter 170. Event handler 190 may utilize or call data updater 176,object updater 177, or GUI updater 178 to update the applicationinternal state 192. Alternatively, one or more of the application views191 include one or more respective event handlers 190. Also, in someembodiments, one or more of data updater 176, object updater 177, andGUI updater 178 are included in a respective application view 191.

A respective event recognizer 180 receives event information (e.g.,event data 179) from event sorter 170 and identifies an event from theevent information. Event recognizer 180 includes event receiver 182 andevent comparator 184. In some embodiments, event recognizer 180 alsoincludes at least a subset of: metadata 183, and event deliveryinstructions 188 (which may include sub-event delivery instructions).

Event receiver 182 receives event information from event sorter 170. Theevent information includes information about a sub-event, for example, atouch or a touch movement. Depending on the sub-event, the eventinformation also includes additional information, such as location ofthe sub-event. When the sub-event concerns motion of a touch, the eventinformation may also include speed and direction of the sub-event. Insome embodiments, events include rotation of the device from oneorientation to another (e.g., from a portrait orientation to a landscapeorientation, or vice versa), and the event information includescorresponding information about the current orientation (also calleddevice attitude) of the device.

Event comparator 184 compares the event information to predefined eventor sub-event definitions and, based on the comparison, determines anevent or sub-event, or determines or updates the state of an event orsub-event. In some embodiments, event comparator 184 includes eventdefinitions 186. Event definitions 186 contain definitions of events(e.g., predefined sequences of sub-events), for example, event 1(187-1), event 2 (187-2), and others. In some embodiments, sub-events inan event (187) include, for example, touch begin, touch end, touchmovement, touch cancellation, and multiple touching. In one example, thedefinition for event 1 (187-1) is a double tap on a displayed object.The double tap, for example, comprises a first touch (touch begin) onthe displayed object for a predetermined phase, a first liftoff (touchend) for a predetermined phase, a second touch (touch begin) on thedisplayed object for a predetermined phase, and a second liftoff (touchend) for a predetermined phase. In another example, the definition forevent 2 (187-2) is a dragging on a displayed object. The dragging, forexample, comprises a touch (or contact) on the displayed object for apredetermined phase, a movement of the touch across touch-sensitivedisplay 112, and liftoff of the touch (touch end). In some embodiments,the event also includes information for one or more associated eventhandlers 190.

In some embodiments, event definition 187 includes a definition of anevent for a respective user-interface object. In some embodiments, eventcomparator 184 performs a hit test to determine which user-interfaceobject is associated with a sub-event. For example, in an applicationview in which three user-interface objects are displayed ontouch-sensitive display 112, when a touch is detected on touch-sensitivedisplay 112, event comparator 184 performs a hit test to determine whichof the three user-interface objects is associated with the touch(sub-event). If each displayed object is associated with a respectiveevent handler 190, the event comparator uses the result of the hit testto determine which event handler 190 should be activated. For example,event comparator 184 selects an event handler associated with thesub-event and the object triggering the hit test.

In some embodiments, the definition for a respective event (187) alsoincludes delayed actions that delay delivery of the event informationuntil after it has been determined whether the sequence of sub-eventsdoes or does not correspond to the event recognizer's event type.

When a respective event recognizer 180 determines that the series ofsub-events do not match any of the events in event definitions 186, therespective event recognizer 180 enters an event impossible, eventfailed, or event ended state, after which it disregards subsequentsub-events of the touch-based gesture. In this situation, other eventrecognizers, if any, that remain active for the hit view continue totrack and process sub-events of an ongoing touch-based gesture.

In some embodiments, a respective event recognizer 180 includes metadata183 with configurable properties, flags, and/or lists that indicate howthe event delivery system should perform sub-event delivery to activelyinvolved event recognizers. In some embodiments, metadata 183 includesconfigurable properties, flags, and/or lists that indicate how eventrecognizers may interact, or are enabled to interact, with one another.In some embodiments, metadata 183 includes configurable properties,flags, and/or lists that indicate whether sub-events are delivered tovarying levels in the view or programmatic hierarchy.

In some embodiments, a respective event recognizer 180 activates eventhandler 190 associated with an event when one or more particularsub-events of an event are recognized. In some embodiments, a respectiveevent recognizer 180 delivers event information associated with theevent to event handler 190. Activating an event handler 190 is distinctfrom sending (and deferred sending) sub-events to a respective hit view.In some embodiments, event recognizer 180 throws a flag associated withthe recognized event, and event handler 190 associated with the flagcatches the flag and performs a predefined process.

In some embodiments, event delivery instructions 188 include sub-eventdelivery instructions that deliver event information about a sub-eventwithout activating an event handler. Instead, the sub-event deliveryinstructions deliver event information to event handlers associated withthe series of sub-events or to actively involved views. Event handlersassociated with the series of sub-events or with actively involved viewsreceive the event information and perform a predetermined process.

In some embodiments, data updater 176 creates and updates data used inapplication 136-1. For example, data updater 176 updates the telephonenumber used in contacts module 137, or stores a video file used in videoplayer module. In some embodiments, object updater 177 creates andupdates objects used in application 136-1. For example, object updater177 creates a new user-interface object or updates the position of auser-interface object. GUI updater 178 updates the GUI. For example, GUIupdater 178 prepares display information and sends it to graphics module132 for display on a touch-sensitive display.

In some embodiments, event handler(s) 190 includes or has access to dataupdater 176, object updater 177, and GUI updater 178. In someembodiments, data updater 176, object updater 177, and GUI updater 178are included in a single module of a respective application 136-1 orapplication view 191. In other embodiments, they are included in two ormore software modules.

It shall be understood that the foregoing discussion regarding eventhandling of user touches on touch-sensitive displays also applies toother forms of user inputs to operate multifunction devices 100 withinput devices, not all of which are initiated on touch screens. Forexample, mouse movement and mouse button presses, optionally coordinatedwith single or multiple keyboard presses or holds; contact movementssuch as taps, drags, scrolls, etc. on touchpads; pen stylus inputs;movement of the device; oral instructions; detected eye movements;biometric inputs; and/or any combination thereof are optionally utilizedas inputs corresponding to sub-events which define an event to berecognized.

FIG. 2 illustrates a portable multifunction device 100 having a touchscreen 112 in accordance with some embodiments. The touch screenoptionally displays one or more graphics within user interface (UI) 200.In this embodiment, as well as others described below, a user is enabledto select one or more of the graphics by making a gesture on thegraphics, for example, with one or more fingers 202 (not drawn to scalein the figure) or one or more styluses 203 (not drawn to scale in thefigure). In some embodiments, selection of one or more graphics occurswhen the user breaks contact with the one or more graphics. In someembodiments, the gesture optionally includes one or more taps, one ormore swipes (from left to right, right to left, upward and/or downward),and/or a rolling of a finger (from right to left, left to right, upwardand/or downward) that has made contact with device 100. In someimplementations or circumstances, inadvertent contact with a graphicdoes not select the graphic. For example, a swipe gesture that sweepsover an application icon optionally does not select the correspondingapplication when the gesture corresponding to selection is a tap.

Device 100 may also include one or more physical buttons, such as “home”or menu button 204. As described previously, menu button 204 may be usedto navigate to any application 136 in a set of applications that may beexecuted on device 100. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the menubutton is implemented as a soft key in a GUI displayed on touch screen112.

In one embodiment, device 100 includes touch screen 112, menu button204, push button 206 for powering the device on/off and locking thedevice, volume adjustment button(s) 208, subscriber identity module(SIM) card slot 210, headset jack 212, and docking/charging externalport 124. Push button 206 is, optionally, used to turn the power on/offon the device by depressing the button and holding the button in thedepressed state for a predefined time interval; to lock the device bydepressing the button and releasing the button before the predefinedtime interval has elapsed; and/or to unlock the device or initiate anunlock process. In an alternative embodiment, device 100 also acceptsverbal input for activation or deactivation of some functions throughmicrophone 113. Device 100 also, optionally, includes one or morecontact intensity sensors 165 for detecting intensity of contacts ontouch screen 112 and/or one or more tactile output generators 167 forgenerating tactile outputs for a user of device 100.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary multifunction device with adisplay and a touch-sensitive surface in accordance with someembodiments. Device 300 need not be portable. In some embodiments,device 300 is a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computer,a multimedia player device, a navigation device, an educational device(such as a child's learning toy), a gaming system, or a control device(e.g., a home or industrial controller). Device 300 typically includesone or more processing units (CPUs) 310, one or more network or othercommunications interfaces 360, memory 370, and one or more communicationbuses 320 for interconnecting these components. Communication buses 320optionally include circuitry (sometimes called a chipset) thatinterconnects and controls communications between system components.Device 300 includes input/output (I/O) interface 330 comprising display340, which is typically a touch screen display. I/O interface 330 alsooptionally includes a keyboard and/or mouse (or other pointing device)350 and touchpad 355, tactile output generator 357 for generatingtactile outputs on device 300 (e.g., similar to tactile outputgenerator(s) 167 described above with reference to FIG. 1A), sensors 359(e.g., optical, acceleration, proximity, touch-sensitive, and/or contactintensity sensors similar to contact intensity sensor(s) 165 describedabove with reference to FIG. 1A). Memory 370 includes high-speed randomaccess memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random access solidstate memory devices; and optionally includes non-volatile memory, suchas one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storagedevices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid state storagedevices. Memory 370 optionally includes one or more storage devicesremotely located from CPU(s) 310. In some embodiments, memory 370 storesprograms, modules, and data structures analogous to the programs,modules, and data structures stored in memory 102 of portablemultifunction device 100 (FIG. 1A), or a subset thereof. Furthermore,memory 370 optionally stores additional programs, modules, and datastructures not present in memory 102 of portable multifunction device100. For example, memory 370 of device 300 optionally stores drawingmodule 380, presentation module 382, word processing module 384, websitecreation module 386, disk authoring module 388, and/or spreadsheetmodule 390, while memory 102 of portable multifunction device 100 (FIG.1A) optionally does not store these modules.

Each of the above-identified elements in FIG. 3 may be stored in one ormore of the previously mentioned memory devices. Each of theabove-identified modules corresponds to a set of instructions forperforming a function described above. The above-identified modules orprograms (e.g., sets of instructions) need not be implemented asseparate software programs, procedures, or modules, and thus varioussubsets of these modules may be combined or otherwise rearranged invarious embodiments. In some embodiments, memory 370 may store a subsetof the modules and data structures identified above. Furthermore, memory370 may store additional modules and data structures not describedabove.

Attention is now directed towards embodiments of user interfaces thatmay be implemented on, for example, portable multifunction device 100.

FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary user interface for a menu ofapplications on portable multifunction device 100 in accordance withsome embodiments. Similar user interfaces may be implemented on device300. In some embodiments, user interface 400 includes the followingelements, or a subset or superset thereof:

-   -   Signal strength indicator(s) 402 for wireless communication(s),        such as cellular and Wi-Fi signals;    -   Time 404;    -   Bluetooth indicator 405;    -   Battery status indicator 406;    -   Tray 408 with icons for frequently used applications, such as:        -   Icon 416 for telephone module 138, labeled “Phone,” which            optionally includes an indicator 414 of the number of missed            calls or voicemail messages;        -   Icon 418 for e-mail client module 140, labeled “Mail,” which            optionally includes an indicator 410 of the number of unread            e-mails;        -   Icon 420 for browser module 147, labeled “Browser;” and        -   Icon 422 for video and music player module 152, also            referred to as iPod (trademark of Apple Inc.) module 152,            labeled “iPod;” and    -   Icons for other applications, such as:        -   Icon 424 for IM module 141, labeled “Messages;”        -   Icon 426 for calendar module 148, labeled “Calendar;”        -   Icon 428 for image management module 144, labeled “Photos;”        -   Icon 430 for camera module 143, labeled “Camera;”        -   Icon 432 for online video module 155, labeled “Online            Video;”        -   Icon 434 for stocks widget 149-2, labeled “Stocks;”        -   Icon 436 for map module 154, labeled “Maps;”        -   Icon 438 for weather widget 149-1, labeled “Weather;”        -   Icon 440 for alarm clock widget 149-4, labeled “Clock;”        -   Icon 442 for workout support module 142, labeled “Workout            Support;”        -   Icon 444 for notes module 153, labeled “Notes;” and        -   Icon 446 for a settings application or module, labeled            “Settings,” which provides access to settings for device 100            and its various applications 136.

It should be noted that the icon labels illustrated in FIG. 4A aremerely exemplary. For example, icon 422 for video and music playermodule 152 may optionally be labeled “Music” or “Music Player.” Otherlabels are, optionally, used for various application icons. In someembodiments, a label for a respective application icon includes a nameof an application corresponding to the respective application icon. Insome embodiments, a label for a particular application icon is distinctfrom a name of an application corresponding to the particularapplication icon.

FIG. 4B illustrates an exemplary user interface on a device (e.g.,device 300, FIG. 3) with a touch-sensitive surface 451 (e.g., a tabletor touchpad 355, FIG. 3) that is separate from the display 450 (e.g.,touch screen display 112). Device 300 also, optionally, includes one ormore contact intensity sensors (e.g., one or more of sensors 357) fordetecting intensity of contacts on touch-sensitive surface 451 and/orone or more tactile output generators 359 for generating tactile outputsfor a user of device 300.

Although some of the examples which follow will be given with referenceto inputs on touch screen display 112 (where the touch-sensitive surfaceand the display are combined), in some embodiments, the device detectsinputs on a touch-sensitive surface that is separate from the display,as shown in FIG. 4B. In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive surface(e.g., 451 in FIG. 4B) has a primary axis (e.g., 452 in FIG. 4B) thatcorresponds to a primary axis (e.g., 453 in FIG. 4B) on the display(e.g., 450). In accordance with these embodiments, the device detectscontacts (e.g., 460 and 462 in FIG. 4B) with the touch-sensitive surface451 at locations that correspond to respective locations on the display(e.g., in FIG. 4B, 460 corresponds to 468 and 462 corresponds to 470).In this way, user inputs (e.g., contacts 460 and 462, and movementsthereof) detected by the device on the touch-sensitive surface (e.g.,451 in FIG. 4B) are used by the device to manipulate the user interfaceon the display (e.g., 450 in FIG. 4B) of the multifunction device whenthe touch-sensitive surface is separate from the display. It should beunderstood that similar methods are, optionally, used for other userinterfaces described herein.

Additionally, while the following examples are given primarily withreference to finger inputs (e.g., finger contacts, finger tap gestures,finger swipe gestures), it should be understood that, in someembodiments, one or more of the finger inputs are replaced with inputfrom another input device (e.g., a mouse-based input or stylus input).For example, a swipe gesture is, optionally, replaced with a mouse click(e.g., instead of a contact) followed by movement of the cursor alongthe path of the swipe (e.g., instead of movement of the contact). Asanother example, a tap gesture is, optionally, replaced with a mouseclick while the cursor is located over the location of the tap gesture(e.g., instead of detection of the contact followed by ceasing to detectthe contact). Similarly, when multiple user inputs are simultaneouslydetected, it should be understood that multiple computer mice are,optionally, used simultaneously, or a mouse and finger contacts are,optionally, used simultaneously.

FIG. 5A illustrates exemplary personal electronic device 500. Device 500includes body 502. In some embodiments, device 500 can include some orall of the features described with respect to devices 100 and 300 (e.g.,FIGS. 1A-4B). In some embodiments, device 500 has touch-sensitivedisplay screen 504, hereafter touch screen 504. Alternatively, or inaddition to touch screen 504, device 500 has a display and atouch-sensitive surface. As with devices 100 and 300, in someembodiments, touch screen 504 (or the touch-sensitive surface) may haveone or more intensity sensors for detecting intensity of contacts (e.g.,touches) being applied. The one or more intensity sensors of touchscreen 504 (or the touch-sensitive surface) can provide output data thatrepresents the intensity of touches. The user interface of device 500can respond to touches based on their intensity, meaning that touches ofdifferent intensities can invoke different user interface operations ondevice 500.

Techniques for detecting and processing touch intensity may be found,for example, in related applications: International Patent ApplicationSerial No. PCT/US2013/040061, titled “Device, Method, and Graphical UserInterface for Displaying User Interface Objects Corresponding to anApplication,” filed May 8, 2013, and International Patent ApplicationSerial No. PCT/US2013/069483, titled “Device, Method, and Graphical UserInterface for Transitioning Between Touch Input to Display OutputRelationships,” filed Nov. 11, 2013, each of which is herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

In some embodiments, device 500 has one or more input mechanisms 506 and508. Input mechanisms 506 and 508, if included, can be physical.Examples of physical input mechanisms include push buttons and rotatablemechanisms. In some embodiments, device 500 has one or more attachmentmechanisms. Such attachment mechanisms, if included, can permitattachment of device 500 with, for example, hats, eyewear, earrings,necklaces, shirts, jackets, bracelets, watch straps, chains, trousers,belts, shoes, purses, backpacks, and so forth. These attachmentmechanisms may permit device 500 to be worn by a user.

FIG. 5B depicts exemplary personal electronic device 500. In someembodiments, device 500 can include some or all of the componentsdescribed with respect to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 3. Device 500 has bus 512that operatively couples I/O section 514 with one or more computerprocessors 516 and memory 518. I/O section 514 can be connected todisplay 504, which can have touch-sensitive component 522 and,optionally, touch-intensity sensitive component 524. In addition, I/Osection 514 can be connected with communication unit 530 for receivingapplication and operating system data, using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, nearfield communication (NFC), cellular, and/or other wireless communicationtechniques. Device 500 can include input mechanisms 506 and/or 508.Input mechanism 506 may be a rotatable input device or a depressible androtatable input device, for example. Input mechanism 508 may be abutton, in some examples.

Input mechanism 508 may be a microphone, in some examples. Personalelectronic device 500 can include various sensors, such as GPS sensor532, accelerometer 534, directional sensor 540 (e.g., compass),gyroscope 536, motion sensor 538, and/or a combination thereof, all ofwhich can be operatively connected to I/O section 514.

Memory 518 of personal electronic device 500 can be a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium, for storing computer-executableinstructions, which, when executed by one or more computer processors516, for example, can cause the computer processors to perform thetechniques described above, including processes 1600-2200 (FIGS. 16-22).The computer-executable instructions can also be stored and/ortransported within any non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumfor use by or in connection with an instruction execution system,apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system,processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch theinstructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or deviceand execute the instructions. For purposes of this document, a“non-transitory computer-readable storage medium” can be any medium thatcan tangibly contain or store computer-executable instructions for useby or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, ordevice. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can include,but is not limited to, magnetic, optical, and/or semiconductor storages.Examples of such storage include magnetic disks, optical discs based onCD, DVD, or Blu-ray technologies, as well as persistent solid-statememory such as flash, solid-state drives, and the like. Personalelectronic device 500 is not limited to the components and configurationof FIG. 5B, but can include other or additional components in multipleconfigurations.

As used here, the term “affordance” refers to a user-interactivegraphical user interface object that may be displayed on the displayscreen of devices 100, 300, and/or 500 (FIGS. 1, 3, and 5). For example,an image (e.g., icon), a button, and text (e.g., hyperlink) may eachconstitute an affordance.

As used herein, the term “focus selector” refers to an input elementthat indicates a current part of a user interface with which a user isinteracting. In some implementations that include a cursor or otherlocation marker, the cursor acts as a “focus selector” so that when aninput (e.g., a press input) is detected on a touch-sensitive surface(e.g., touchpad 355 in FIG. 3 or touch-sensitive surface 451 in FIG. 4B)while the cursor is over a particular user interface element (e.g., abutton, window, slider or other user interface element), the particularuser interface element is adjusted in accordance with the detectedinput. In some implementations that include a touch screen display(e.g., touch-sensitive display system 112 in FIG. 1A or touch screen 112in FIG. 4A) that enables direct interaction with user interface elementson the touch screen display, a detected contact on the touch screen actsas a “focus selector” so that when an input (e.g., a press input by thecontact) is detected on the touch screen display at a location of aparticular user interface element (e.g., a button, window, slider, orother user interface element), the particular user interface element isadjusted in accordance with the detected input. In some implementations,focus is moved from one region of a user interface to another region ofthe user interface without corresponding movement of a cursor ormovement of a contact on a touch screen display (e.g., by using a tabkey or arrow keys to move focus from one button to another button); inthese implementations, the focus selector moves in accordance withmovement of focus between different regions of the user interface.Without regard to the specific form taken by the focus selector, thefocus selector is generally the user interface element (or contact on atouch screen display) that is controlled by the user so as tocommunicate the user's intended interaction with the user interface(e.g., by indicating, to the device, the element of the user interfacewith which the user is intending to interact). For example, the locationof a focus selector (e.g., a cursor, a contact, or a selection box) overa respective button while a press input is detected on thetouch-sensitive surface (e.g., a touchpad or touch screen) will indicatethat the user is intending to activate the respective button (as opposedto other user interface elements shown on a display of the device).

As used in the specification and claims, the term “characteristicintensity” of a contact refers to a characteristic of the contact basedon one or more intensities of the contact. In some embodiments, thecharacteristic intensity is based on multiple intensity samples. Thecharacteristic intensity is, optionally, based on a predefined number ofintensity samples, or a set of intensity samples collected during apredetermined time period (e.g., 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10seconds) relative to a predefined event (e.g., after detecting thecontact, prior to detecting liftoff of the contact, before or afterdetecting a start of movement of the contact, prior to detecting an endof the contact, before or after detecting an increase in intensity ofthe contact, and/or before or after detecting a decrease in intensity ofthe contact). A characteristic intensity of a contact is, optionallybased on one or more of: a maximum value of the intensities of thecontact, a mean value of the intensities of the contact, an averagevalue of the intensities of the contact, a top 10 percentile value ofthe intensities of the contact, a value at the half maximum of theintensities of the contact, a value at the 90 percent maximum of theintensities of the contact, or the like. In some embodiments, theduration of the contact is used in determining the characteristicintensity (e.g., when the characteristic intensity is an average of theintensity of the contact over time). In some embodiments, thecharacteristic intensity is compared to a set of one or more intensitythresholds to determine whether an operation has been performed by auser. For example, the set of one or more intensity thresholds mayinclude a first intensity threshold and a second intensity threshold. Inthis example, a contact with a characteristic intensity that does notexceed the first threshold results in a first operation, a contact witha characteristic intensity that exceeds the first intensity thresholdand does not exceed the second intensity threshold results in a secondoperation, and a contact with a characteristic intensity that exceedsthe second threshold results in a third operation. In some embodiments,a comparison between the characteristic intensity and one or morethresholds is used to determine whether or not to perform one or moreoperations (e.g., whether to perform a respective operation or forgoperforming the respective operation) rather than being used to determinewhether to perform a first operation or a second operation.

In some embodiments, a portion of a gesture is identified for purposesof determining a characteristic intensity. For example, atouch-sensitive surface may receive a continuous swipe contacttransitioning from a start location and reaching an end location, atwhich point the intensity of the contact increases. In this example, thecharacteristic intensity of the contact at the end location may be basedon only a portion of the continuous swipe contact, and not the entireswipe contact (e.g., only the portion of the swipe contact at the endlocation). In some embodiments, a smoothing algorithm may be applied tothe intensities of the swipe contact prior to determining thecharacteristic intensity of the contact. For example, the smoothingalgorithm optionally includes one or more of: an unweightedsliding-average smoothing algorithm, a triangular smoothing algorithm, amedian filter smoothing algorithm, and/or an exponential smoothingalgorithm. In some circumstances, these smoothing algorithms eliminatenarrow spikes or dips in the intensities of the swipe contact forpurposes of determining a characteristic intensity.

The intensity of a contact on the touch-sensitive surface may becharacterized relative to one or more intensity thresholds, such as acontact-detection intensity threshold, a light press intensitythreshold, a deep press intensity threshold, and/or one or more otherintensity thresholds. In some embodiments, the light press intensitythreshold corresponds to an intensity at which the device will performoperations typically associated with clicking a button of a physicalmouse or a trackpad. In some embodiments, the deep press intensitythreshold corresponds to an intensity at which the device will performoperations that are different from operations typically associated withclicking a button of a physical mouse or a trackpad. In someembodiments, when a contact is detected with a characteristic intensitybelow the light press intensity threshold (e.g., and above a nominalcontact-detection intensity threshold below which the contact is nolonger detected), the device will move a focus selector in accordancewith movement of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface withoutperforming an operation associated with the light press intensitythreshold or the deep press intensity threshold. Generally, unlessotherwise stated, these intensity thresholds are consistent betweendifferent sets of user interface figures.

An increase of characteristic intensity of the contact from an intensitybelow the light press intensity threshold to an intensity between thelight press intensity threshold and the deep press intensity thresholdis sometimes referred to as a “light press” input. An increase ofcharacteristic intensity of the contact from an intensity below the deeppress intensity threshold to an intensity above the deep press intensitythreshold is sometimes referred to as a “deep press” input. An increaseof characteristic intensity of the contact from an intensity below thecontact-detection intensity threshold to an intensity between thecontact-detection intensity threshold and the light press intensitythreshold is sometimes referred to as detecting the contact on thetouch-surface. A decrease of characteristic intensity of the contactfrom an intensity above the contact-detection intensity threshold to anintensity below the contact-detection intensity threshold is sometimesreferred to as detecting liftoff of the contact from the touch-surface.In some embodiments, the contact-detection intensity threshold is zero.In some embodiments, the contact-detection intensity threshold isgreater than zero.

In some embodiments described herein, one or more operations areperformed in response to detecting a gesture that includes a respectivepress input or in response to detecting the respective press inputperformed with a respective contact (or a plurality of contacts), wherethe respective press input is detected based at least in part ondetecting an increase in intensity of the contact (or plurality ofcontacts) above a press-input intensity threshold. In some embodiments,the respective operation is performed in response to detecting theincrease in intensity of the respective contact above the press-inputintensity threshold (e.g., a “down stroke” of the respective pressinput). In some embodiments, the press input includes an increase inintensity of the respective contact above the press-input intensitythreshold and a subsequent decrease in intensity of the contact belowthe press-input intensity threshold, and the respective operation isperformed in response to detecting the subsequent decrease in intensityof the respective contact below the press-input threshold (e.g., an “upstroke” of the respective press input).

In some embodiments, the device employs intensity hysteresis to avoidaccidental inputs sometimes termed “jitter,” where the device defines orselects a hysteresis intensity threshold with a predefined relationshipto the press-input intensity threshold (e.g., the hysteresis intensitythreshold is X intensity units lower than the press-input intensitythreshold or the hysteresis intensity threshold is 75%, 90%, or somereasonable proportion of the press-input intensity threshold). Thus, insome embodiments, the press input includes an increase in intensity ofthe respective contact above the press-input intensity threshold and asubsequent decrease in intensity of the contact below the hysteresisintensity threshold that corresponds to the press-input intensitythreshold, and the respective operation is performed in response todetecting the subsequent decrease in intensity of the respective contactbelow the hysteresis intensity threshold (e.g., an “up stroke” of therespective press input). Similarly, in some embodiments, the press inputis detected only when the device detects an increase in intensity of thecontact from an intensity at or below the hysteresis intensity thresholdto an intensity at or above the press-input intensity threshold and,optionally, a subsequent decrease in intensity of the contact to anintensity at or below the hysteresis intensity, and the respectiveoperation is performed in response to detecting the press input (e.g.,the increase in intensity of the contact or the decrease in intensity ofthe contact, depending on the circumstances).

For ease of explanation, the descriptions of operations performed inresponse to a press input associated with a press-input intensitythreshold or in response to a gesture including the press input are,optionally, triggered in response to detecting either: an increase inintensity of a contact above the press-input intensity threshold, anincrease in intensity of a contact from an intensity below thehysteresis intensity threshold to an intensity above the press-inputintensity threshold, a decrease in intensity of the contact below thepress-input intensity threshold, and/or a decrease in intensity of thecontact below the hysteresis intensity threshold corresponding to thepress-input intensity threshold. Additionally, in examples where anoperation is described as being performed in response to detecting adecrease in intensity of a contact below the press-input intensitythreshold, the operation is, optionally, performed in response todetecting a decrease in intensity of the contact below a hysteresisintensity threshold corresponding to, and lower than, the press-inputintensity threshold.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 6, which depicts an exemplaryhexagonal grid 600 according to some embodiments. Hexagonal grid 600includes a two-dimensional array of discrete locations represented bydots. With the exception of the locations near the edges of grid 600,each location is surrounded by six adjacent locations. For example,location E is adjacent to locations B, C, D, F, G, and H. The sixlocations adjacent to any particular location define a hexagon. Thelocations are arranged such that the hexagons defined by the adjacentlocations of any two locations are congruent.

A location may be defined as the origin of the hexagonal grid. In grid600, location O is defined as the origin. An integer rank value may bedefined for each location based on its location in relation to theorigin O. The rank of a location is defined as the minimum number ofdiscrete steps along locations on grid 600 that can be taken to movefrom the origin to the location. A discrete step is a step from alocation on the hexagonal grid to an adjacent location on the hexagonalgrid. For example, it is possible to move from the origin O to locationB in three steps via points A and C (i.e., O-A-C-B); however, it is alsopossible to reach point B in only two steps via location A (e.g., bygoing directly to B from A). Location B cannot be reached in fewer thantwo steps along a path of adjacent points. Accordingly, location B has arank value of two. As shown in FIG. 6, locations having the same rankform hexagonal “shells” around the origin O. While rank is generallydescribed herein as increasing with distance from the origin, it isunderstood that the reverse could be true. For example, the closest“shell” could be assigned a rank of 100 with successive “shells” beingassigned successively lower ranks (e.g., 99, 98, 97).

Attention is now directed to user interfaces and associated processesthat may be implemented on a multifunction device with a display and atouch-sensitive surface, such as devices 100, 300, and/or 500 (FIGS. 1A,3, and/or 5A), to reconfigure user interface objects, including userinterface objects arranged in a hexagonal pattern.

FIG. 7 illustrates exemplary electronic device 700. Device 700 may bedevice 500 (FIG. 5A) in some embodiments. In the illustrated example,device 700 is a wearable electronic device. In some embodiments, device700 may be a smartphone.

As shown, device 700 may display user interface screen 710 having aplurality of user interface objects arranged in a configuration 720.Each user interface object is positioned at (e.g., occupies) a locationon a hexagonal grid. On user interface screen 710, the user interfaceobjects are displayed as circular icons centered on their respectivegrid locations. Icons may be affordances that correspond to applicationsexecutable on device 700 (e.g., a messaging application), meaning device700 may launch a corresponding application in response to a user'sselection of an icon.

It should be recognized that the icons may have various sizes and shapes(e.g., hexagon, square, triangle, rounded rectangle, star, etc.). Theicons also do not have to all be the same shape and do not have to bethe same size as the grid spacing. Furthermore, the grid may beconfigured in various ways. For example, the grid may be elongated,skewed, and/or oriented in a different direction (e.g., rotated 60degrees so that one of the axes is vertical). Also, in some embodiments,the hexagonal grid (e.g., the grid location indicators and axes) is notdisplayed.

Device 700 may operate in a user interface reconfiguration mode in whichthe user interface displayed on the display may be reconfigured. Whilein the user interface reconfiguration mode, displayed user interfaceobjects (e.g., application icons) may be moved, deleted, added, changed,or the like. Exemplary methods for entering and exiting a user interfacereconfiguration mode are described below.

FIG. 8A illustrates an exemplary user interface screen 810 that may bedisplayed on the display of device 700. Screen 810 includes a pluralityof application icons 820 arranged in a hexagonal configuration.

In one embodiment, device 700 may include a touch-sensitive display.Device 700 may detect an input on the touch-sensitive display, such astouch 805. The touch may be detected at a position corresponding to oneof the plurality of displayed application icons. In FIG. 8A, touch 805is located at a position corresponding to icon K. In response to thetouch, device 700 may be set to operate in a user interfacereconfiguration mode for reconfiguring the application icons on thedisplay. Optionally, device 700 may determine whether the duration ofthe touch 805 exceeds a predetermined threshold and be set to operate inthe user interface reconfiguration mode in accordance with adetermination that the duration of the touch 805 exceeds thepredetermined threshold. Alternatively, in accordance with adetermination that the duration of the touch 805 does not exceed thepredetermined threshold, device 700 may launch an applicationcorresponding to the touched icon (e.g., Application K).

In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive display may comprise one ormore sensors to detect the intensity of contacts with thetouch-sensitive display. Device 700 may determine whether the touch 805has a characteristic intensity above a threshold intensity and mayoperate in the user interface reconfiguration mode in accordance with adetermination that the characteristic intensity is above the thresholdintensity. Alternatively, in accordance with a determination that thecharacteristic intensity is below the threshold intensity, device 700may launch an application corresponding to the touched icon (e.g.,Application K).

In some embodiments, device 700 may display an indication that thedevice is operating in the user interface configuration mode (i.e., thatthe displayed user interface may be reconfigured). The indication mayinclude causing the display of one or more user interface objects (e.g.,an application icon) to fluctuate in size.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate an exemplary implementation of user interfaceobjects fluctuating in size. FIG. 8A shows the icons 820 displayed at afirst size. FIG. 8B shows the icons 820 displayed at a second sizesmaller than the first size. In response to touch 805 (e.g., when device700 is set to or is operating in the user interface configuration mode),device 700 may transition the display of the icons from the first sizeto the second size. The display of the icons may be further transitionedback to the first size such that icons fluctuate between the first sizeand the second size. The icons may continue to fluctuate in size untildevice 700 exits the user interface reconfiguration mode. Optionally,the fluctuation in size may be animated to simulate that the icons arepulsing.

In some embodiments, the fluctuation may include an oscillation of thesize of the icons 820 about an average size (e.g., the average of thefirst and second sizes). Optionally, the center of the icons may remainfixed at a position on the display as they fluctuate.

In another exemplary implementation, device 700 may indicate that it isoperating in the user interface reconfiguration mode by causing thedisplay of the icons to jiggle or oscillate about a point. For example,device 700 may cause the icons to move as described in U.S. Pat. No.8,423,911, entitled “Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface forManaging Folders,” issued Apr. 16, 2013.

Attention is now directed to techniques and user interfaces that allow auser to cause a user interface object to be removed. In someembodiments, when device 700 is operating in the user interfacereconfiguration mode, an application icon may include a deletion regionindicating that the icon can be deleted (i.e., that the icon isdeletable). FIG. 8C depicts an exemplary deletion region 830 on icon A.

While in the user interface reconfiguration mode, device 700 may detectan input corresponding to a selection of a deletion region, and inresponse, remove the display of the respective icon. For example, FIG.8C depicts a touch 815 representing a selection of the deletion regionof icon J. In response to touch 815, device 700 may remove the displayof icon J. Alternatively, in response to touch 815, device 700 maydisplay a deletion confirmation affordance. FIG. 8D depicts an exemplarydeletion confirmation affordance 840 that may be displayed on screen 810in response touch 815. In response to a selection of “Yes”, device 700may remove the display of icon J. Device 700 may also cause the actualapplication corresponding to icon J to become unavailable (e.g., removethe application from memory). In response to a selection of “No”, device700 may remove the deletion confirmation affordance 840 from screen 810.

Yet another technique for removing an icon may include determining theintensity of a touch input. The touch-sensitive display of device 700may comprise one or more sensors to detect the intensity of contactswith the touch-sensitive display. Device 700 may determine whether atouch representing a selection of an icon (e.g., touch 805 or 815) has acharacteristic intensity above a threshold intensity. In accordance witha determination that the characteristic intensity is above the thresholdintensity, device 700 may remove the display of the selected icon.Alternatively, in accordance with a determination that thecharacteristic intensity is not above the threshold intensity, device700 may take no action or launch an application corresponding to theicon at the position of the touch.

In some embodiments, device 700 may detect a touch, determine theintensity, and remove the selected icon while operating in the userinterface configuration mode. Optionally, providing a touch withsufficient intensity may allow a user to remove an icon without havingto first enter the user interface reconfiguration mode. That is, device700 may detect a touch, determine the intensity, and remove the selectedicon while operating in a normal operation mode in which the userinterface is not otherwise reconfigurable.

Device 700 may also provide a means for a user to exit the userinterface reconfiguration mode. For example, while in the user interfacereconfiguration mode, device 700 may detect an input, and in response,exit the user interface reconfiguration mode. Device 700 may transitionfrom the user interface reconfiguration mode to a normal operation mode.In an exemplary normal operation mode, icons cannot be reconfigured andselection of an icon may cause device 700 to launch the correspondingapplication program.

Attention is now directed to techniques for reconfiguring atwo-dimensional arrangement of user interface objects displayed on thedisplay of device 700. Particular attention is directed to reconfiguringicons that occupy locations on a hexagonal grid, such as grid 600described above. As part of reconfiguring the user interface, icons maybe deleted, moved, added, etc.

FIG. 9A shows an exemplary user interface screen 910 displayed on thedisplay of device 700. Screen 910 includes a plurality of user interfaceobjects arranged in an initial configuration 920 in which theapplication icons occupy locations on a hexagonal grid. The grid itselfis not displayed. In the illustrated example, the user interface objectsare application icons. The plurality of application icons may bedisplayed while device 700 is operating in a user interfacereconfiguration mode for reconfiguring the application icons on thedisplay.

In FIG. 9A, device 700 receives an input in the form of touch 905 aticon 921. Touch 905 may represent a request to delete icon 921. Device700 may detect touch gesture 905 and, in response, remove the display ofapplication icon 921. Removing icon 921 results in an unoccupiedlocation on the hexagonal grid, as shown by the configuration 930 inFIG. 9B.

In response to detecting touch gesture 905, device 700 may alsodetermine a new configuration for the remaining icons (i.e., aconfiguration without application icon 921).

The new configuration may be determined to compact the remaining iconssuch that the icons, as a whole, are closer to the origin compared toconfiguration 930. Stated another way, a sum of the distances of theicons from the origin O in the initial configuration 920, minus thedistance from the origin of the removed icon 921 in the initialconfiguration 920, is greater than a sum of the distances from theorigin of the application icons in the new configuration. In some cases,the icons may be compacted by reducing the rank (as defined above) ofone or more icons. In some embodiments, the unoccupied location isfilled by moving an adjacent icon in a higher rank that results in thegreatest reduction in the sum distance.

The new configuration may also be determined such that there are nointerior unoccupied locations in the configuration. As used herein, aninterior unoccupied location refers to an unoccupied location on thehexagonal grid that is adjacent to six application icons (i.e., anunoccupied location that is entirely surrounded by other icons). Thespace resulting from removal of icon 921 is an example of an interiorunoccupied location.

Furthermore, the new configuration may be determined such that no iconis displaced by more than one location on the hexagonal grid relative toits location in the initial configuration.

Once the new configuration is determined, device 700 may transition thedisplay of the plurality of icons to the new configuration. FIGS. 9C-9Dillustrate an exemplary transition of the plurality of icons fromconfiguration 930 (i.e., the initial configuration 920 without icon 921)to an exemplary new configuration 940. As indicated in FIG. 9C, theplurality of icons is reconfigured by reducing the rank of icons 922 and923. Icon 922 located diagonally adjacent to the unoccupied location ismoved one step radially inward toward the origin O to fill theunoccupied location, reducing its rank from two to one. Icon 923 is alsomoved one step radially inward toward the origin to occupy the previouslocation of icon 922, reducing its rank from three to two. Icon 923 ismoved so as not to leave the new configuration 940 with an unoccupiedlocation completely surrounded by six adjacent icons. The exemplary newcompacted configuration 940 is shown in FIG. 9D.

Notably, there are no interior unoccupied locations in the newconfiguration 940, and the sum of the distances of the icons from theorigin O in the new configuration 940 is less than in configuration 930by the total distance that the relocated icons 922 and 923 are movedtoward the origin O. Also, both of the moved icons 922 and 923 weretranslated only one step and occupy adjacent locations of lower rankrelative to their previous respective locations. Furthermore, movingicons 922 and 923 are the adjacent icons in a higher rank than theunoccupied location that result in the greatest possible reduction inthe sum distance.

As shown in the illustrated example, transitioning the display of theplurality of application icons may include moving a display of an iconto an unoccupied location from a location diagonally adjacent to theunoccupied location with respect to the orientation of the display. Thatis, the icon that fills the location of the removed icon may do so bytranslating in both the vertical and horizontal directions on thedisplay from an adjacent location.

The foregoing example provides an intuitive way to remove an icon from ahexagonal configuration of icons, and to reconfigure the remainingicons. It reduces the cognitive burden on a user when deleting thedisplay of icons, thereby creating a more efficient human-machineinterface. The rearrangement of the hexagonal grid in response to theremoval of the icon maintains many of the icons in their originalpositions, while allowing the selected icon to be removed from the grid.Icons that are moved remain close (e.g., adjacent) to their previouspositions. This allows a user, who may have familiarity with the gridarrangement, to affect the arrangement while maintaining continuity fromthe old arrangement to the new. This may be both aesthetically appealingand may allow a user to quickly and easily locate an icon after it hasbeen moved. For battery-operated computing devices, enabling a user toorganize and access application programs more quickly and moreefficiently conserves power and increases the time between batterycharges.

Attention is now directed to techniques and user interfaces forreconfiguring a plurality of user interface objects in response torelocation of one of the objects to a different location. FIGS. 10A-10Dillustrate an example in which an icon on a hexagonal grid is relocatedto an adjacent occupied location on the grid.

FIG. 10A shows an exemplary user interface screen 1010 displayed on thedisplay of device 700. Screen 1010 includes an initial configuration1020 of a plurality of icons occupying locations on a hexagonal grid.The grid itself is not displayed. The plurality of icons may bedisplayed while device 700 is operating in a user interfacereconfiguration mode for reconfiguring the icons on the display.

As shown in FIG. 10A, device 700 receives an input in the form of touchgesture 1005. Touch gesture 1005 represents a user contact on thetouch-sensitive display at a position corresponding to icon 1021 locatedat a first location on the hexagonal grid. In some embodiments, touch1005 may be a continuation of a touch that causes the device 700 to beset to a user interface reconfiguration mode (e.g., touch 805).

As indicated in FIG. 10A, touch 1005 is translated along thetouch-sensitive display, without a break in contact from thetouch-sensitive display, to a second position corresponding to icon1022, which occupies a second location on the hexagonal grid.

Device 700 may detect the contact and movement of touch 1005 on thetouch-sensitive display. As illustrated in FIG. 10B, in response todetecting the movement of touch 1005 from the first position to thesecond position, device 700 may translate the display of icon 1021 fromits initial location to the second position of the touch slightly aboveand to the right of the center of icon 1022. In some embodiments, thetranslation of icon 1021 may track the movement of the touch 1005.

Translating the display of icon 1021 results in the initial location oficon 1021 being unoccupied. In further response to detecting themovement of touch 1005 from the first position to the second position,device 700 may move the display of icon 1022 to the location on thehexagonal grid previously occupied by icon 1021, resulting inconfiguration 1030 illustrated in FIG. 10D. When touch 1005 is released,icon 1021 may be moved to the previous location of icon 1022. In someembodiments, icon 1022 may be moved to the unoccupied location beforetouch 1005 is released.

The foregoing example illustrates an intuitive way to move a selectedapplication icon in a hexagonal configuration of icons to a desiredlocation and reduces the cognitive burden on a user when organizingicons, thereby creating a more efficient human-machine interface. Therearrangement of the hexagonal grid in response to the movement of theicon maintains the greatest number of icons in their original positions,while allowing the selected icon to be moved within the grid. Thisallows a user, who may have familiarity with the grid arrangement, toaffect the arrangement while maintaining continuity from the oldarrangement to the new. This may be both aesthetically appealing and mayallow a user to quickly and easily locate an icon after it has beenmoved. For battery-operated computing devices, enabling a user toorganize and access application programs more quickly and moreefficiently conserves power and increases the time between batterycharges.

Attention is now directed to an example in which an icon on a hexagonalgrid is relocated to an unoccupied location is described. FIG. 11A showsan exemplary user interface screen 1110 displayed on the display ofdevice 700. Screen 1110 includes an initial configuration 1120 of aplurality of icons occupying locations on a hexagonal grid. The griditself is not displayed. The plurality of icons may be displayed whiledevice 700 is operating in a user interface reconfiguration mode forreconfiguring the icons on the display.

Device 700 may detect an input 1105 representing a selection of icon1121. In FIG. 11A, the input 1105 is a touch gesture representing a usercontact on the touch-sensitive display at a position corresponding toicon 1121 located at a first location on the hexagonal grid. In someembodiments, touch 1105 may be a continuation of a touch that causes thedevice 700 to be set to a user interface reconfiguration mode (e.g.,touch 805).

As indicated in FIG. 11A, touch 1105 is translated along thetouch-sensitive display, without a break in contact from thetouch-sensitive display, to a second position corresponding to anunoccupied location on the hexagonal grid. In the present example, touch1105 is translated to the position shown in FIG. 11B, which correspondsan unoccupied location outside of configuration 1120 above and to theright of icon 1122.

Device 700 may detect the contact and movement of touch 1105. Inresponse, device 700 may translate the display of icon 1121 from itsinitial location on the hexagonal grid to the second position as shownin FIG. 11B. In some embodiments, the translation of icon 1121 may trackthe movement of the touch 1105.

FIG. 11C depicts grid locations near the second position of touch 1105.In the illustrated example, the second position of touch 1105corresponds to a location represented by grid indicator A. Indicatorsrepresenting location A and the locations adjacent to A are shown inFIG. 11C for reference, but may not actually be displayed on screen1110. A user may attempt to place icon 1121 at location A by breakingcontact of touch 1105 from the touch-sensitive display, leaving theplurality of icons in the configuration 1130 shown in FIG. 11C.

In some embodiments, device 700 may require that each icon in aplurality of icons have at least two neighboring icons on the hexagonalgrid. That is, at least two locations on the hexagonal grid adjacent toan icon must be occupied. Stated another way, no more than four of thelocation on the hexagonal grid adjacent to an icon may be unoccupied.

Device 700 may detect the break in contact of touch 1105 and, inresponse, determine whether there are less than two occupied locationsadjacent to the location associated with the second position of touch1105 (i.e., location A). In the illustrated example, since location B isthe only location on the hexagonal grid adjacent to location A that isoccupied, device 700 determines that icon 1121 has only one neighbor.

In accordance with a determination that there are less than two occupiedlocations adjacent to location A, device 700 may determine analternative unoccupied location on the hexagonal grid for icon 1121 thathas at least two adjacent occupied locations, and move the display oficon 1121 to the alternative location. Device 700 may determine thealternative location based on proximity to the requested location. Thealternative location may be a location on the hexagonal grid nearest tolocation A that is adjacent to at least two occupied locations. In FIG.11C, locations C and D are unoccupied, equidistant from location A, andadjacent to at least two other icons. As indicated in the illustratedexample, device 700 determines location C as the alternative locationand moves icon 1121 accordingly (see FIG. 11D).

In accordance with a determination that there are greater than twooccupied locations adjacent to location A, device 700 may leave icon1121 in the location corresponding to the second position of touch 1105.

Notably, translating the display of icon 1121 result in an unoccupiedinterior location in the hexagonal grid (i.e., an unoccupied locationadjacent to six icons). In accordance with a determination that theunoccupied location is adjacent to six icons, device 700 may determine anew configuration of the plurality of application icons without anunoccupied location adjacent to six application icons. Optionally, inaccordance with a determination that the unoccupied location is notadjacent to six application icons, the display of the plurality ofapplication icons may be maintained in its current configuration.

Device 700 may determine the new configuration according to one or moreof the techniques described above with reference to FIGS. 9A-9D. Forexample, the new configuration may be determined to compact the iconssuch that, as a whole, the icons move closer to the origin. Theconfiguration may also be determined such that the new configuration hasno unoccupied locations adjacent to six icons and no icon is moved morethan one step.

FIGS. 11C-11D illustrate an exemplary transition of the plurality oficons to an exemplary new configuration 1140. As indicated in FIG. 11C,device 700 transitions the display of icon 1123 one step on thehexagonal grid toward the origin so that the configuration no longerincludes an unoccupied location with six adjacent icons. Moving icon1123 toward the origin also reduces the sum of the distances of theicons from the origin. FIG. 11D shows the icons arranged in the newconfiguration 1140. Furthermore, icon 1123 is the icon of higher rankadjacent to the unoccupied location that results in the greatestreduction in sum distance from the origin of the configuration.

The foregoing example illustrates an intuitive way to move a selectedapplication icon in a hexagonal configuration of icons to a desiredlocation and reduces the cognitive burden on a user when organizingicons, thereby creating a more efficient human-machine interface. Therearrangement of the hexagonal grid in response to the movement of theicon keeps the icons together and maintains many of the icons in theiroriginal positions, while allowing the selected icon to be moved withinthe grid. Icons that are moved remain close (e.g., adjacent) to theirprevious positions. This allows a user, who may have familiarity withthe grid arrangement, to affect the arrangement while maintainingcontinuity from the old arrangement to the new. This may be bothaesthetically appealing and may allow a user to quickly and easilylocate an icon after it has been moved. For battery-operated computingdevices, enabling a user to organize and access application programsmore quickly and more efficiently conserves power and increases the timebetween battery charges.

It should be recognized that icon 1123 may be moved before, after, or atthe same time as icon 1121 is moved from location A to location C (e.g.,upon the translation of icon 1121 to location A). It should also berecognized that removal of an icon, may result in a remaining icon beingleft with only one neighbor. In which case, the techniques describedabove may be applied to reconfigure the remaining icons such that noicon has less than two adjacent icons.

Attention is now directed to examples in which an icon is moved to anon-adjacent occupied location. FIG. 12A shows an exemplary userinterface screen 1210 displayed on the display of device 700. Screen1210 includes an initial configuration 1220 of a plurality of iconsoccupying locations on a hexagonal grid. The grid itself is notdisplayed. The plurality of icons may be displayed while device 700 isoperating in a user interface reconfiguration mode for reconfiguring theicons on the display.

Device 700 may detect an input 1205 representing a selection of icon1221. In FIG. 12A, the input 1205 is a touch gesture representing a usercontact on the touch-sensitive display at a position corresponding toicon 1221 located at a first location on the hexagonal grid. In someembodiments, touch 1205 may be a continuation of a touch that causes thedevice 700 to be set to a user interface reconfiguration mode (e.g.,touch 805).

As indicated in FIG. 12A, touch 1205 is translated along thetouch-sensitive display, without a break in contact from thetouch-sensitive display, to a second position corresponding to alocation on the hexagonal grid occupied by icon 1222.

Device 700 may detect the contact and movement of touch 1205. Inresponse, device 700 may translate the display of icon 1221 from itsinitial location on the hexagonal grid to the second position of thetouch slightly offset to the right of location A indicated in FIG. 12B.In some embodiments, the translation of icon 1221 may track the movementof the touch 1205.

In further response to detecting the movement of touch 1205 from thefirst position to the second position, device 700 may determine a newconfiguration of the icons based on the previous location of icon 1221(indicated by point D in FIG. 12B) and the location corresponding to thesecond position of the touch, location A. The new configuration may bedetermined to fill the unoccupied location resulting from thetranslation of icon 1221 (i.e., location D). The new configuration mayalso be determined such that no icon, except the selected icon 1221 isdisplaced by more than one location relative to its location inconfiguration 1220.

FIGS. 12B-12D illustrate an exemplary transition of the plurality oficons to an exemplary new configuration 1230. As indicated in FIG. 12B,icon 1222 is moved one step on the hexagonal grid toward the origin tolocation B; icon 1223 is moved one step on the hexagonal gridcounter-clockwise around the origin to location C; and icon 1224 ismoved one step on the hexagonal grid counter-clockwise around the originto location D. As shown in FIG. 12C, the display of the icons may betransitioned to the new configuration before touch 1205 is released.

In some embodiments, device 700 may determine which icons to move, andto which locations, according to the following technique. If a firsticon in a first location (e.g., the selected icon) is moved to thelocation of a second icon at a higher rank, the second icon is moved toan adjacent location in the next lowest rank that is closest to theunoccupied first location. If the location to which the second icon ismoved is occupied by a third icon, the third icon is moved according tothe same method as the second icon provided it is in a higher rank thanthe unoccupied first location. Device 700 may attempt to move eachsubsequent icon according to this technique until an icon is reachedwith the same rank as the unoccupied first location left by the firsticon. If an icon has the same rank as the unoccupied first location, theicon is moved to an adjacent location in the same rank that is closestto the unoccupied first location. This process may continue until anicon is moved into the first unoccupied location. Notably, the rank ofeach moved icon is reduced until an icon in the same rank as theunoccupied location is reached.

The new configuration 1230 and transition described above with referenceto FIGS. 12B-12D illustrate an exemplary implementation of thistechnique. Icon 1221 is moved from location D in rank one to location Aof icon 1222 in rank two (i.e., a higher rank). Location B is thelocation adjacent to location A in the next lowest rank that is closesto location D. Thus, icon 1222 is moved to location B. Icon 1223 islocated at location B. Since location B has the same rank as unoccupiedlocation D, icon 1223 is moved to location C, which is the locationadjacent to location B within the same rank that is closest to locationD. Icon 1224 at location C moves to location D since it is adjacent tolocation D.

In some embodiments, once touch 1205 breaks contact with thetouch-sensitive display, the display of icon 1221 is moved such that itis centered on location A. FIG. 12D shows the icons arranged in the newconfiguration 1230 with icon 1221 at location A. It should be recognizedthat the display of the plurality of icons may be transitioned to thenew configuration before, after, or at the same time as icon 1221 ismoved to a position corresponding to a different location on thehexagonal grid (e.g., upon the translation of icon 1221 to the positionclose to location A).

The foregoing example illustrates an intuitive way to move a selectedapplication icon in a hexagonal configuration of icons to a desiredlocation and reduces the cognitive burden on a user when organizingicons, thereby creating a more efficient human-machine interface. Therearrangement of the hexagonal grid in response to the movement of theicon maintains many of the icons in their original positions, whileallowing the selected icon to be moved within the grid. Icons that aremoved remain close (e.g., adjacent) to their previous positions. Thisallows a user, who may have familiarity with the grid arrangement, toaffect the arrangement while maintaining continuity from the oldarrangement to the new. This may be both aesthetically appealing and mayallow a user to quickly and easily locate an icon after it has beenmoved. For battery-operated computing devices, enabling a user toorganize and access application programs more quickly and moreefficiently conserves power and increases the time between batterycharges.

In some embodiments, a configuration may be determined such that an iconis not moved if it has a lower rank than both the location of theselected icon (e.g., icon 1221) and the location corresponding to thesecond position of the touch 1205. That is, icons having a rank lowerthan the rank of the location corresponding to the first position of thetouch and lower than the rank of the location corresponding to thesecond position of the touch are displayed in the same location in thenew configuration as in the initial configuration.

FIGS. 13A-13D illustrate an exemplary implementation of this technique.FIGS. 13A-13D also illustrate an example of a selected icon being movedto a different location within the same rank. FIG. 13A shows anexemplary user interface screen 1310 displayed on the display of device700. Screen 1310 includes an initial configuration 1320 of a pluralityof icons occupying locations on a hexagonal grid. The grid itself is notdisplayed. The plurality of icons may be displayed while device 700 isoperating in a user interface reconfiguration mode for reconfiguring theicons on the display.

Device 700 may detect an input 1305 representing a selection of icon1321. In FIG. 13A, the input 1305 is a touch gesture representing a usercontact on the touch-sensitive display at a position corresponding toicon 1321 located at a first location on the hexagonal grid. In someembodiments, touch 1305 may be a continuation of a touch that causes thedevice 700 to be set to a user interface reconfiguration mode (e.g.,touch 805).

As indicated in FIG. 13A, touch 1305 is translated along thetouch-sensitive display, without a break in contact from thetouch-sensitive display, to a second position corresponding to alocation on the hexagonal grid occupied by icon 1322.

Device 700 may detect the contact and movement of touch 1305. Inresponse, device 700 may translate the display of icon 1321 from itsinitial location on the hexagonal grid to the second position of thetouch shown in FIG. 13B. In some embodiments, the translation of icon1321 may track the movement of the touch 1305.

In further response to detecting the movement of touch 1305 from thefirst position to the second position, device 700 may determine a newconfiguration and transition the display of the icons based on theprevious location of icon 1321 (indicated by point A) and the locationcorresponding to the second position of the touch, location C.

In some embodiments, the icons may be reconfigured by moving icon 1322to location B (i.e., the origin O) and icon 1323 from location B tolocation A. However, the location of the selected icon 1321 and thelocation to which icon 1321 is moved both have a rank of one. Location B(the origin) has a rank of zero. To satisfy the criterion of maintainingthe position of icons having a lower rank than the locations of theselected icon and the location corresponding to the second position ofthe touch 1305, the icons may be moved around the origin to avoid movingicon 1323. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 13C-13D, icons 1322,1324, and 1325 may each be moved one location counter-clockwise aroundthe origin to fill unoccupied location A.

Notably, this reconfiguration is another example of the techniquedescribed above in which icons with the same rank as the unoccupiedlocation of the selected icon are moved to an adjacent location in thesame rank that is closest to the unoccupied location. As shown in FIG.13C, locations D and F are in the same rank as location C and areequally close to the unoccupied location A. Thus, icon 1322 could havebeen moved to either location D or F. In the illustrated example, device700 determines to move icon 1322 to location D. Location E is thelocation adjacent to E in the same rank that is closest to A, so icon1324 is moved to location E. Icon 1325 is adjacent to location A and isthus moved to fill the unoccupied location.

The foregoing example illustrates an intuitive way to move a selectedapplication icon in a hexagonal configuration of icons to a desiredlocation and reduces the cognitive burden on a user when organizingicons, thereby creating a more efficient human-machine interface. Therearrangement of the hexagonal grid in response to the movement of theicon maintains many of the icons in their original positions, whileallowing the selected icon to be moved within the grid. Icons that aremoved remain close (e.g., adjacent) to their previous positions. Thisallows a user, who may have familiarity with the grid arrangement, toaffect the arrangement while maintaining continuity from the oldarrangement to the new. This may be both aesthetically appealing and mayallow a user to quickly and easily locate an icon after it has beenmoved. For battery-operated computing devices, enabling a user toorganize and access application programs more quickly and moreefficiently conserves power and increases the time between batterycharges.

In some embodiments, a selected icon may be moved to a non-adjacentlocation of lower rank. For example, the second point of a dragged touchin the example above may correspond to a location of lower rank than thelocation corresponding to the first point of the touch.

FIGS. 14A-14D illustrate an example in which a selected icon is moved toa non-adjacent location of lower rank. FIG. 14A shows an exemplary userinterface screen 1410 displayed on the display of device 700. Screen1410 includes an initial configuration 1420 of a plurality of iconsoccupying locations on a hexagonal grid. The grid itself is notdisplayed. The plurality of icons may be displayed while device 700 isoperating in a user interface reconfiguration mode for reconfiguring theicons on the display.

Device 700 may detect an input 1405 representing a selection of icon1421. In FIG. 14A, the input 1405 is a touch gesture representing a usercontact on the touch-sensitive display at a position corresponding toicon 1421 located at a first location on the hexagonal grid. In someembodiments, touch 1405 may be a continuation of a touch that causes thedevice 700 to be set to a user interface reconfiguration mode (e.g.,touch 805).

As indicated in FIG. 14A, touch 1405 is translated along thetouch-sensitive display, without a break in contact from thetouch-sensitive display, to a second position corresponding to alocation on the hexagonal grid occupied by icon 1422.

Device 700 may detect the contact and movement of touch 1405. Inresponse, device 700 may translate the display of icon 1421 from itsinitial location on the hexagonal grid to the second position of thetouch shown in FIG. 14B. In some embodiments, the translation of icon1421 may track the movement of the touch 1405.

In further response to detecting the movement of touch 1405 from thefirst position to the second position, device 700 may determine a newconfiguration and transition the display of the icons based on theprevious location of icon 1421 (location A) and the locationcorresponding to the second position of the touch (location B). Notably,location A has a rank of two and location B has a rank of one.

Device 700 may determine a new configuration and transition the displayof the icons as indicated in FIGS. 14B-14D. FIG. 14B indicates that thedisplay of the icons transition to the new configuration by moving icon1422 within rank one to location C and moving icon 1423 from rank one torank two into unoccupied location A. More generally, the unoccupiedlocation is filled by an icon from a lower rank, and the icon at thelocation to which the selected icon is being moved stays in the samerank. Notably, the icons are also transitioned such that no icon movesmore than one step on the hexagonal grid, the icon at the origin is notmoved, and there are no unoccupied interior locations.

In some embodiments, device 700 may determine which icons to move, andto which locations, according to the following technique. If a firsticon in a first location (e.g., the selected icon) is moved to thelocation of a second icon at a lower rank, the second icon is moved toan adjacent location in an equal or higher rank that is closest to theunoccupied first location. In some embodiments, if there are twoadjacent locations that are equally close to the unoccupied location,the icon is moved to the location with equal rank. If the location towhich the second icon is moved is occupied by a third icon, the thirdicon is moved according to the same method as the second icon. Device700 may attempt to move each subsequent icon according to this techniqueuntil an icon is moved into the unoccupied location left by the firsticon.

The new configuration and transition described above with reference toFIGS. 14B-14D illustrate an exemplary implementation of this technique.Icon 1421 is moved from location A in rank two to location B of icon1422 in rank one. Location C is the location adjacent to location B thatis closest to unoccupied location A and is in the same rank. Note thatrelative to location B, adjacent location D is the same distance from Aas location C, but is in a higher rank. Thus, icon 1422 is moved tolocation C. Icon 1423 is located at location C. Since location C isadjacent to the unoccupied location A, icon 1423 moves up in rank tofill the unoccupied location.

The foregoing example illustrates an intuitive way to move a selectedapplication icon in a hexagonal configuration of icons to a desiredlocation and reduces the cognitive burden on a user when organizingicons, thereby creating a more efficient human-machine interface. Therearrangement of the hexagonal grid in response to the movement of theicon maintains many of the icons in their original positions, whileallowing the selected icon to be moved within the grid. Icons that aremoved remain close (e.g., adjacent) to their previous positions. Thisallows a user, who may have familiarity with the grid arrangement, toaffect the arrangement while maintaining continuity from the oldarrangement to the new. This may be both aesthetically appealing and mayallow a user to quickly and easily locate an icon after it has beenmoved. For battery-operated computing devices, enabling a user toorganize and access application programs more quickly and moreefficiently conserves power and increases the time between batterycharges.

In addition to the techniques described above, various other techniquesare possible for reconfiguring user interface objects arranged on ahexagonal grid. For example, the icons may be arranged such that thereare no breaks between groups of icons. That is, there is no icon that isadjacent only to icons of equal or higher rank (i.e., every icon isadjacent to at least one icon of lower rank).

Attention is now directed to techniques and user interfaces forimproving the ability of a user to accurately position a touch on atouch-sensitive display. The ability to accurately position a touch maymake use of a device more efficient by helping a user relocate aselected icon to a desired location.

FIG. 15A shows an exemplary user interface screen 1510 displayed on thedisplay of device 700. Screen 1510 includes a plurality of userinterface objects (e.g., application icons for launching applicationprograms) arranged in a hexagonal grid. The plurality of user interfaceobjects may be displayed while device 700 is operating in a userinterface reconfiguration mode for reconfiguring the application iconson the display.

In FIG. 15A, a user contact in the form of a touch input 1505 ispositioned on an icon corresponding to application N. In someembodiments, device 700 may determine whether the duration of the touch1505 exceeds a predetermined threshold. In accordance with adetermination that the duration of the touch 1505 exceeds thepredetermined threshold, device 700 may display an enlarged portion 1520of the displayed screen 1510 that includes an area surrounding thecurrent position of the touch 1505. FIG. 15B depicts an exemplaryenlarged view 1520. In the illustrated example, the enlarged viewincludes a circular display positioned above the current point ofcontact on the touch-sensitive display.

In some embodiments, it may be possible for a user to scan along thedisplay to view an enlarged view of a different portion of the screen1510. Without releasing the touch 1505, a user may drag (e.g., slide)the touch to a different point on the display. If device 700 has a smallform factor and/or a small display, the enlarged portion of the screenmay help the user know the current position of the touch and toaccurately place icon N in a new desired location.

As indicated by the arrow in FIG. 15C, the touch is moved, withoutbreaking contact with the touch-sensitive display, to a position on anicon corresponding to application F. While in the a user interfacereconfiguration mode, device 700 may detect touch 1505 on thetouch-sensitive display at icon N, and while continuing to detect touch1505, may detect the movement of the touch from the position on icon Nto the position on icon F without a break in contact of the touch on thetouch-sensitive display.

In response to detecting the movement, device 700 may update enlargedview as touch 1505 is moved along the touch-sensitive display. Also,icon N may be translated along with the movement of the touch such thatthe icon is displayed at the point of contact of the touch (e.g.,underneath the user's finger). In the illustrated example, however, iconN does not appear in the enlarged view 1520. In some embodiments, theenlarged view of the displayed screen may include the display of theicon being relocated (e.g., icon N).

In some embodiments, instead of, or in addition to displaying theenlarged view in accordance with a determination that the duration ofthe touch 1505 exceeds the predetermined threshold, device 700 maydisplay the enlarged view in response to detecting the movement.

Attention is now directed to exemplary processes for carrying out theuser interface techniques described above.

FIG. 16 is a flow diagram illustrating process 1600 for reconfiguring auser interface at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display.Process 1600 may be carried out by electronic devices such as devices100, 300, and/or 500 (FIGS. 1A, 3, 5A) in various embodiments.

Process 1600 may provide an intuitive way to remove an application iconfrom a hexagonal configuration of icons, and to reconfigure theremaining icons. The method reduces the cognitive burden on a user whendeleting the display of icons, thereby creating a more efficienthuman-machine interface. Process 1600 also provides a way to reorganizeicons that keeps the icons together and close to their previouspositions. This may be both aesthetically appealing and may allow a userto quickly and easily locate an icon after it has been moved. Forbattery-operated computing devices, enabling a user to organize andaccess application programs more quickly and more efficiently conservespower and increases the time between battery charges.

At block 1602, a plurality of application icons (e.g., 820) forlaunching application programs is displayed on the display (e.g., 112,340, 504). The application icons may be arranged in a firstconfiguration (e.g., 920) and may occupy respective locations on ahexagonal grid (e.g., 600) in relation to an origin. At block 1604, afirst input (e.g., 805) on the touch-sensitive display is detected. Atblock 1606, in response to detecting the first input, the electronicdevice is caused to operate in a user interface reconfiguration mode forreconfiguring the application icons on the display. At block 1608, asecond input (e.g. 905) is detected on the touch-sensitive displayrepresenting a selection of a first application icon (e.g., 921) at afirst location on the hexagonal grid. At block 1610, in response to thesecond input (e.g., 905), the display of the first application icon(e.g., 921) is removed. At block 1612, a second configuration (e.g.,940) of the application icons without the first application icon (e.g.,921) is determined such that a sum of the distances from the origin ofthe application icons in the first configuration (e.g., 920), minus thedistance from the origin of the first application icon (e.g., 921) inthe first configuration, is greater than a sum of the distances from theorigin of the application icons in the second configuration (e.g., 920).At block 1614, the display of the plurality of application icons istransitioned from the first configuration (e.g., 920) to the secondconfiguration (e.g., 940).

FIG. 17 is a flow diagram illustrating process 1700 for reconfiguring auser interface at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display.Process 1700 may be carried out by electronic devices such as devices100, 300, and/or 500 (FIGS. 1A, 3, 5A) in various embodiments.

Process 1700 may provide an intuitive way to move a selected applicationicon in a hexagonal configuration of icons to a desired location, and toreconfigure the icons to make room for the selected icon at the desiredlocation. The method reduces the cognitive burden on a user whenorganizing icons, thereby creating a more efficient human-machineinterface. Process 1700 also provides a way to reorganize icons thatkeeps the icons together and close to their previous positions. This maybe both aesthetically appealing and may allow a user to quickly andeasily locate an icon after it has been moved. For battery-operatedcomputing devices, enabling a user to organize and access applicationprograms more quickly and more efficiently conserves power and increasesthe time between battery charges.

At block 1702, a plurality of application icons (e.g. 1020) is displayedon the display (e.g., 112, 340, 504) in a user interface reconfigurationmode for reconfiguring the application icons on the display. Theplurality of application icons occupy respective locations on ahexagonal grid. At block 1704, a user contact (e.g., 1005) is detectedon the touch-sensitive display (e.g., 112, 340, 504) at a first positioncorresponding to a first application icon (e.g., 1021) at a firstlocation on the hexagonal grid. At block 1706, while continuing todetect the user contact, movement of the user contact (e.g., 1005) fromthe first position to a second position without a break in contact ofthe user contact on the touch-sensitive display is detected. The secondposition may correspond to a second application icon (e.g., 1022) at asecond location on the hexagonal grid. At block 1708, in response todetecting movement of the user contact from the first position to thesecond position: the display of the first application icon (e.g., 1021)is translated from the first location to the second position; and thedisplay of the second application icon (e.g., 1022) is moved to thefirst location.

FIG. 18 is a flow diagram illustrating process 1800 for reconfiguring auser interface at an electronic device with a display. Process 1800 maybe carried out by electronic devices such as devices 100, 300, and/or500 (FIGS. 1A, 3, 5A) in various embodiments.

Process 1800 may provide an intuitive way to move a selected applicationicon in a hexagonal configuration of icons to another location, and toreconfigure the icons. The method reduces the cognitive burden on a userwhen organizing icons, thereby creating a more efficient human-machineinterface. Process 1800 also provides a way to reorganize icons thatkeeps the icons together and close to their previous positions. This maybe both aesthetically appealing and may allow a user to quickly andeasily locate an icon after it has been moved. For battery-operatedcomputing devices, enabling a user to organize and access applicationprograms more quickly and more efficiently conserves power and increasesthe time between battery charges.

At block 1802, a plurality of application icons (e.g., 1120) isdisplayed on the display (e.g., 112, 340, 504) in a user interfacereconfiguration mode for reconfiguring the application icons on thedisplay, the plurality of application icons occupying respectivelocations on a hexagonal grid. At block 1804, a user contact (e.g.,1105) is detected on the touch-sensitive display at a first positioncorresponding to a first application icon (e.g., 1121) at a firstlocation on the hexagonal grid. At block 1806, while continuing todetect the user contact, movement of the user contact from the firstposition to a second position without a break in contact of the usercontact on the touch-sensitive display is detected, the second positioncorresponding to a second location (e.g., FIG. 11B, location A) on thehexagonal grid, wherein the second location is unoccupied. At block1808, in response to detecting movement of the user contact from thefirst position to the second position, the display of the firstapplication icon (e.g., 1121) is transitioned from the first location tothe second position. At block 1810, a break in contact of the usercontact on the touch-sensitive display is detected. At block 1812, inresponse to the break in contact of the user contact on thetouch-sensitive display, a determination is made whether there are lessthan two occupied locations adjacent to the second location (FIG. 11B,location A). At block 1814, in accordance with a determination thatthere are less than two occupied locations adjacent to the secondlocation: a third location (e.g., FIG. 11C, location C) on the hexagonalgrid having at least two adjacent locations that are occupied isdetermined, and the display of the first application icon (e.g., 1121)is moved to the third location on the hexagonal grid.

FIG. 19 is a flow diagram illustrating process 1900 for reconfiguring auser interface at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display.Process 1900 may be carried out by electronic devices such as devices100, 300, and/or 500 (FIGS. 1A, 3, 5A) in various embodiments.

Process 1900 may provide an intuitive way to move a selected applicationicon in a hexagonal configuration of icons to another location, and toreconfigure the icons to make room for the selected icon at the desiredlocation. The method reduces the cognitive burden on a user whenorganizing icons, thereby creating a more efficient human-machineinterface. Process 1900 also provides a way to reorganize icons thatkeeps the icons together and close to their previous positions. This maybe both aesthetically appealing and may allow a user to quickly andeasily locate an icon after it has been moved. For battery-operatedcomputing devices, enabling a user to organize and access applicationprograms more quickly and more efficiently conserves power and increasesthe time between battery charges.

At block 1902, a plurality of application icons is displayed on thedisplay (e.g., 112, 340, 504) in a user interface reconfiguration modefor reconfiguring the application icons on the display, the applicationicons arranged in a first configuration (e.g. 1220), wherein theapplication icons occupy respective locations on a hexagonal grid inrelation to an origin, and wherein the application icons havecorresponding ranks based on their respective locations in relation tothe origin. At block 1904, a user contact (e.g., 1205) on thetouch-sensitive display is detected at a first position corresponding toa first application icon (e.g., 1221) at a first location on thehexagonal grid. At block 1906, while continuing to detect the usercontact, movement of the user contact from the first position to asecond position without a break in contact of the user contact on thetouch-sensitive display is detected, the second position correspondingto a second application icon (e.g., 1222) at a second location (e.g.,FIG. 12B, location A) on the hexagonal grid. At block 1908, in responseto detecting movement of the user contact from the first position to thesecond position: the display of the first application icon is translatedfrom the first location to the second position; a second configuration(e.g., 1230) of the application icons is determined based on the firstlocation and the second location (e.g., FIG. 12B, locations D and A,respectively); and the display of the application icons is transitionedfrom the first configuration (e.g., 1220) to the second configuration(e.g., 1230), wherein, in the second configuration, no application iconexcept the first application icon is displaced by more than one locationrelative to the first configuration, and wherein transitioning thedisplay of the application icons from the first configuration to thesecond configuration comprises: moving the display of the secondapplication icon to a third location (e.g., FIG. 12B, location B)adjacent to the second location (e.g., FIG. 12B, location A); and movinga display of a third application icon (e.g., 1224) to the first locationfrom a fourth location (e.g., FIG. 12B, location C) adjacent to thefirst location.

FIG. 20 is a flow diagram illustrating process 2000 for reconfiguring auser interface at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display.Process 2000 may be carried out by electronic devices such as devices100, 300, and/or 500 (FIGS. 1A, 3, 5A) in various embodiments.

Process 2000 may provide an intuitive way to reconfigure a userinterface and to indicate that the interface may be reconfigured. Themethod reduces the cognitive burden on a user when reconfiguring iconson a user interface, thereby creating a more efficient human-machineinterface. The indication may be both aesthetically appealing and mayallow a user to quickly and easily acknowledge that the interface may bereconfigured. For battery-operated computing devices, enabling a user toreconfigure icons more quickly and more efficiently conserves power andincreases the time between battery charges.

At block 2002, one or more application icons (e.g., 820) are displayedin a hexagonal arrangement. At block 2004, a first input (e.g., 805) onthe touch-sensitive display (e.g., 112, 340, 504) is detected. At block2006, in response to the first input: the electronic device is caused tooperate in a user interface reconfiguration mode for reconfiguring theapplication icons on the display; and the display of the firstapplication icon is caused to fluctuate in size (e.g., FIGS. 8A-8B).

FIG. 21 is a flow diagram illustrating process 2100 for reconfiguring auser interface at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display,the touch-sensitive display comprising one or more sensors to detect theintensity of contacts with the touch-sensitive display. Process 2100 maybe carried out by electronic devices such as devices 100, 300, and/or500 (FIGS. 1A, 3, 5A) in various embodiments.

Process 2100 may provide an intuitive way to remove an application iconfrom a hexagonal configuration of icons. The method reduces thecognitive burden on a user when deleting the display of icons, therebycreating a more efficient human-machine interface. For battery-operatedcomputing devices, enabling a user to organize and access applicationprograms more quickly and more efficiently conserves power and increasesthe time between battery charges.

At block 2102, one or more application icons (e.g., 920) are displayedin a hexagonal arrangement. At block 2104, on the touch-sensitivedisplay (e.g., 112, 340, 504), a touch (e.g., 905) corresponding to aselection of a first application icon (e.g., 921) corresponding to arespective application is detected. At block 2106, a determination ismade whether the touch has a characteristic intensity above a thresholdintensity. At block 2108, in accordance with a determination that thecharacteristic intensity is above the threshold intensity, the displayof the selected icon is removed (e.g., 930).

FIG. 22 is a flow diagram illustrating process 2200 for reconfiguring auser interface at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive displaythe touch-sensitive display comprising one or more sensors to detect theintensity of contacts with the touch-sensitive display. Process 2200 maybe carried out by electronic devices such as devices 100, 300, and/or500 (FIGS. 1A, 3, 5A) in various embodiments.

Process 2200 may provide an intuitive way to remove an application iconfrom a hexagonal configuration of icons. The method reduces thecognitive burden on a user when deleting the display of icons, therebycreating a more efficient human-machine interface. For battery-operatedcomputing devices, enabling a user to organize and access applicationprograms more quickly and more efficiently conserves power and increasesthe time between battery charges.

At block 2202, one or more application icons (e.g., 820) are displayedin a hexagonal arrangement. At block 2204, a first touch (e.g., 805) isdetected on the touch-sensitive display (e.g., 112, 340, 504). At block2206, a determination is made whether the touch has a characteristicintensity above a threshold intensity. At block 2208, in accordance witha determination that the characteristic intensity is above the thresholdintensity, a deletion confirmation affordance is displayed (e.g., 840).

It should be understood that the particular order in which theoperations in FIGS. 16-22 have been described is exemplary and notintended to indicate that the described order is the only order in whichthe operations could be performed. One of ordinary skill in the artwould recognize various ways to reorder the operations described herein.For brevity, these details are not repeated here. Additionally, itshould be noted that aspects of processes 1600-2200 (FIGS. 16-22) may beincorporated with one another.

The operations in the information processing methods described above maybe implemented by running one or more functional modules in informationprocessing apparatus such as general purpose processors or applicationspecific chips. These modules, combinations of these modules, and/ortheir combination with general hardware (e.g., as described above withrespect to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 3, 5A, and 5B) are all included within thescope of protection of the invention.

FIG. 23 shows exemplary functional blocks of an electronic device 2300that, in some embodiments, performs the above-described features. Asshown in FIG. 23, an electronic device 2300 may include display unit2302 configured to display graphical objects; human input interface unit2304 configured to receive user input; one or more RF units 2306configured to detect and communicate with external electronic devices;one or more feedback unit 2308 configured to provide a user with haptic,audio, and/or visual feedback; and processing unit 2310 coupled todisplay unit 2302, human input interface unit 2304, RF unit(s) 2306, andfeedback unit 2308. In some embodiments, processing unit 2310 isconfigured to support an operating system running on operating systemunit 2312. In turn, operating system unit 2312 may support anapplications unit 2314 for launching and running one or moreapplications.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2310 includes a displayenabling unit 2316 and a user interface reconfiguration unit 2318. Insome embodiments, the display enabling unit 2316 is configured to causea display of a user interface (or portions of a user interface) inconjunction with the display unit 2302. For example, the displayenabling unit 2316 may be used for displaying user interface screensassociated with a photos application.

In some embodiments, RF unit 2306 is configured to detect and receiveinformation from an external device, such as photo information. In someembodiments, the RF unit is configured to detect and transmitinformation to an external device, such information associated with aphoto or collection of photos stored on the external device.

In some embodiments, the user interface reconfiguration unit 2318 isconfigured to receive input, e.g., through the use of human inputinterface unit 2304 and/or RF unit 2306 and to perform the userinterface reconfiguration features described above.

The units of FIG. 23 may be used to implement the various techniques andmethods described above with respect to FIGS. 16-22. The units of device2300 are, optionally, implemented by hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software to carry out the principles of thevarious described examples. It is understood by persons of skill in theart that the functional blocks described in FIG. 23 are, optionally,combined or separated into sub-blocks to implement the principles of thevarious described examples. Therefore, the description herein optionallysupports any possible combination or separation or further definition ofthe functional blocks described herein.

In accordance with some embodiments, FIG. 24 shows a functional blockdiagram of an electronic device 2400 configured in accordance with theprinciples of the various described embodiments. The functional blocksof the device are, optionally, implemented by hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software to carry out the principles of thevarious described embodiments. It is understood by persons of skill inthe art that the functional blocks described in FIG. 24 are, optionally,combined or separated into sub-blocks to implement the principles of thevarious described embodiments. Therefore, the description hereinoptionally supports any possible combination or separation or furtherdefinition of the functional blocks described herein.

As shown in FIG. 24, an electronic device 2400 includes a display unit2402 configured to display a graphic user interface, a touch sensitivesurface unit 2404 configured to receive contacts, and a processing unit2406 coupled to the display unit 2402 and the touch-sensitive surfaceunit 2404. In some embodiments, the processing unit includes a displayenabling unit 2408, a detecting unit 2410, a causing unit 2412, adisplay disabling unit 2414, a determining unit 2416, a transitionenabling unit 2418, and, optionally, a launching unit 2420.

The processing unit 2406 is configured to enable display (e.g., with thedisplay enabling unit 2408) of a plurality of application icons forlaunching application programs, the application icons arranged in afirst configuration, and where the application icons occupy respectivelocations on a hexagonal grid in relation to an origin. The processingunit 2406 is further configured to detect (e.g., with the detecting unit2410) a first input on the touch-sensitive surface unit 2404; inresponse to detecting the first input, cause (e.g., with the causingunit 2412) the electronic device to operate in a user interfacereconfiguration mode for reconfiguring the application icons on thedisplay unit 2402; and detect a second input on the touch-sensitivesurface unit 2404 representing a selection of a first application iconat a first location on the hexagonal grid. The processing unit 2406 isfurther configured to, in response to the second input, disable display(e.g., with the display disabling unit 2414) of the first applicationicon; determine (e.g., with the determining unit 2416) a secondconfiguration of the application icons without the first applicationicon, where a sum of the distances from the origin of the applicationicons in the first configuration, minus the distance from the origin ofthe first application icon in the first configuration, is greater than asum of the distances from the origin of the application icons in thesecond configuration; and enable transition (e.g., with the transitionenabling unit 2418) of the display of the plurality of application iconsfrom the first configuration to the second configuration.

In some embodiments, disabling the display of the first application iconresults in an unoccupied location on the hexagonal grid at the firstlocation; and enabling transition of the display of the plurality ofapplication icons includes moving a display of a second application iconfrom a second location to the unoccupied location, where the secondlocation is diagonally adjacent to the first location with respect tothe display unit 2402.

In some embodiments, the first input is a contact detected at a positioncorresponding to one of the plurality of application icons.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2406 is further configured todetermine (e.g., with the determining unit 2416) whether the duration ofthe contact exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the processing unit2406 is caused to operate in the user interface reconfiguration mode inresponse to detecting the first input and in accordance with adetermination that the duration of the contact exceeds the predeterminedthreshold.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2406 is further configured to,in response to detecting the first input and in accordance with adetermination that the duration of the contact does not exceed thepredetermined threshold, launch (e.g., with the launching unit 2420) theapplication program corresponding to the application icon at theposition of the contact.

In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive surface unit 2404 comprises oneor more sensors to detect the intensity of contacts with thetouch-sensitive surface unit 2404, the first input is a touch, theprocessing unit 2406 is further configured to determine (e.g., with thedetermining unit 2416) whether the touch has a characteristic intensityabove a threshold intensity, and the processing unit 2406 is caused tooperate in the user interface reconfiguration mode in response todetecting the touch and in accordance with a determination that thecharacteristic intensity is above the threshold intensity.

The operations described above with reference to FIG. 16 are,optionally, implemented by components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B or FIG.24. For example, display operation 1602, detecting operations 1604 and1608, causing operation 1606, removing operation 1610, determiningoperation 1612, and transition operation 1614 are, optionally,implemented by event sorter 170, event recognizer 180, and event handler190. Event monitor 171 in event sorter 170 detects a contact ontouch-sensitive display 112, and event dispatcher module 174 deliversthe event information to application 136-1. A respective eventrecognizer 180 of application 136-1 compares the event information torespective event definitions 186, and determines whether a first contactat a first location on the touch-sensitive surface (or whether rotationof the device) corresponds to a predefined event or sub-event, such asselection of an object on a user interface, or rotation of the devicefrom one orientation to another. When a respective predefined event orsub-event is detected, event recognizer 180 activates an event handler190 associated with the detection of the event or sub-event. Eventhandler 190 optionally uses or calls data updater 176 or object updater177 to update the application internal state 192. In some embodiments,event handler 190 accesses a respective GUI updater 178 to update whatis displayed by the application. Similarly, it would be clear to aperson having ordinary skill in the art how other processes can beimplemented based on the components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B.

In accordance with some embodiments, FIG. 25 shows a functional blockdiagram of an electronic device 2500 configured in accordance with theprinciples of the various described embodiments. The functional blocksof the device are, optionally, implemented by hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software to carry out the principles of thevarious described embodiments. It is understood by persons of skill inthe art that the functional blocks described in FIG. 25 are, optionally,combined or separated into sub-blocks to implement the principles of thevarious described embodiments. Therefore, the description hereinoptionally supports any possible combination or separation or furtherdefinition of the functional blocks described herein.

As shown in FIG. 25, an electronic device 2500 includes a display unit2502 configured to display a graphic user interface, a touch sensitivesurface unit 2504 configured to receive contacts, and a processing unit2506 coupled to the display unit 2502 and the touch-sensitive surfaceunit 2504. In some embodiments, the processing unit includes a displayenabling unit 2508, a detecting unit 2510, a translation enabling unit2512, a movement enabling unit 2514, and optionally, a causing unit2516, a determining unit 2518, and a launching unit 2520.

The processing unit 2506 is configured to enable display (e.g., with thedisplay enabling unit 2508) of, on the display unit 2502, a plurality ofapplication icons in a user interface reconfiguration mode forreconfiguring the application icons on the display unit 2502, where theplurality of application icons occupy respective locations on ahexagonal grid; detect (e.g., with the detecting unit 2510) a usercontact on the touch-sensitive surface unit 2504 at a first positioncorresponding to a first application icon at a first location on thehexagonal grid; while continuing to detect the user contact, detect(e.g., with the detecting unit 2510) movement of the user contact fromthe first position to a second position without a break in contact ofthe user contact on the touch-sensitive surface unit 2504, the secondposition corresponding to a second application icon at a second locationon the hexagonal grid; in response to detecting movement of the usercontact from the first position to the second position: enabletranslation (e.g., with translation enabling unit 2512) of the displayof the first application icon from the first location to the secondposition; and enable movement (e.g., with movement enabling unit 2514)of the display of the second application icon to the first location.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2506 further configured todetect (e.g., with detecting unit 2510) a first input on thetouch-sensitive surface unit 2504, and in response to detecting thefirst input, cause (e.g., with causing unit 2516) the processing unit2506 to operate in the user interface reconfiguration mode.

In some embodiments, the first input is a first contact detected at aposition corresponding to one of the plurality of application icons.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2506 is further configured todetermine (e.g., with the determining unit 2518) whether the duration ofthe first contact exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the processingunit 2506 is caused to operate in the user interface reconfigurationmode in response to detecting the first input and in accordance with adetermination that the duration of the first contact exceeds thepredetermined threshold.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2506 is further configured to,in response to detecting the first input and in accordance with adetermination that the duration of the first contact does not exceed thepredetermined threshold launch (e.g., with the launching unit 2520) theapplication program corresponding to the application icon at theposition of the contact.

In some embodiments, the first input is the user contact.

In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive surface unit 2504 comprises oneor more sensors to detect the intensity of contacts with thetouch-sensitive surface unit 2504, and the processing unit 2506 isfurther configured to detect (e.g., with the detecting unit 2510) afirst touch on the touch-sensitive surface unit 2504; determine (e.g.,with the determining unit 2518) whether the touch has a characteristicintensity above a threshold intensity; and in accordance with adetermination that the characteristic intensity is above the thresholdintensity, cause (e.g., with the causing unit 2516) the processing unit2506 to operate in the user interface reconfiguration mode.

The operations described above with reference to FIG. 17 are,optionally, implemented by components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B or FIG.25. For example, displaying operation 1702, detecting operations 1704and 1706, and translating operation 1708 are, optionally, implemented byevent sorter 170, event recognizer 180, and event handler 190. Eventmonitor 171 in event sorter 170 detects a contact on touch-sensitivedisplay 112, and event dispatcher module 174 delivers the eventinformation to application 136-1. A respective event recognizer 180 ofapplication 136-1 compares the event information to respective eventdefinitions 186, and determines whether a first contact at a firstlocation on the touch-sensitive surface (or whether rotation of thedevice) corresponds to a predefined event or sub-event, such asselection of an object on a user interface, or rotation of the devicefrom one orientation to another. When a respective predefined event orsub-event is detected, event recognizer 180 activates an event handler190 associated with the detection of the event or sub-event. Eventhandler 190 optionally uses or calls data updater 176 or object updater177 to update the application internal state 192. In some embodiments,event handler 190 accesses a respective GUI updater 178 to update whatis displayed by the application. Similarly, it would be clear to aperson having ordinary skill in the art how other processes can beimplemented based on the components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B.

In accordance with some embodiments, FIG. 26 shows a functional blockdiagram of an electronic device 2600 configured in accordance with theprinciples of the various described embodiments. The functional blocksof the device are, optionally, implemented by hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software to carry out the principles of thevarious described embodiments. It is understood by persons of skill inthe art that the functional blocks described in FIG. 26 are, optionally,combined or separated into sub-blocks to implement the principles of thevarious described embodiments. Therefore, the description hereinoptionally supports any possible combination or separation or furtherdefinition of the functional blocks described herein.

As shown in FIG. 26, an electronic device 2600 includes a display unit2602 configured to display a graphic user interface, a touch sensitivesurface unit 2604 configured to receive contacts, and a processing unit2606 coupled to the display unit 2602 and the touch-sensitive surfaceunit 2604. In some embodiments, the processing unit includes a displayenabling unit 2608, a detecting unit 2610, a translation enabling unit2612, a determining unit 2614, a movement enabling unit 2616, andoptionally, a transition enabling unit 2618, a maintenance enabling unit2620, a causing unit 2622, and a launching unit 2624.

The processing unit 2606 is configured to enable display (e.g., displayenabling unit 2608) of, on the display unit 2602, a plurality ofapplication icons in a user interface reconfiguration mode forreconfiguring the application icons on the display unit 2602, theplurality of application icons occupying respective locations on ahexagonal grid; detect (e.g., detecting unit 2610) a user contact on thetouch-sensitive surface unit 2604 at a first position corresponding to afirst application icon at a first location on the hexagonal grid; whilecontinuing to detect the user contact, detect (e.g., detecting unit2610) movement of the user contact from the first position to a secondposition without a break in contact of the user contact on thetouch-sensitive surface unit 2604, the second position corresponding toa second location on the hexagonal grid, and where the second locationis unoccupied; in response to detecting movement of the user contactfrom the first position to the second position, enable translation(e.g., transition enabling unit 2612) of the display of the firstapplication icon from the first location to the second position; detect(e.g., with the detecting unit 2610) a break in contact of the usercontact on the touch-sensitive surface unit 2604; in response to thebreak in contact of the user contact on the touch-sensitive surface unit2604, determine (e.g., with the determining unit 2614) whether there areless than two occupied locations adjacent to the second location; and inaccordance with a determination that there are less than two occupiedlocations adjacent to the second location: determine (e.g., with thedetermining unit 2614) a third location on the hexagonal grid having atleast two adjacent locations that are occupied; and enable movement(e.g., with the movement enabling unit 2616) of the display of the firstapplication icon to the third location on the hexagonal grid.

In some embodiments, the third location is a location on the hexagonalgrid nearest to the second location that is adjacent to at least twooccupied locations.

In some embodiments, translating the display of the first applicationicon from the first location results in an unoccupied location on thehexagonal grid at the first location, and the processing unit 2606 isfurther configured to determine (e.g., with the determining unit 2614)whether the unoccupied location is adjacent to six application icons,and in accordance with a determination that the unoccupied location isadjacent to six application icons: determine (e.g., with the determiningunit 2614) a configuration of the plurality of application icons withoutan unoccupied location adjacent to six application icons and enabletransition (e.g., with the transition enabling unit 2618) of the displayof the plurality of application icons to the determined configuration,wherein enabling transitioning of the display of the plurality ofapplication icons to the determined configuration displaces noapplication icon except the first application icon by more than onelocation on the hexagonal grid.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2606 is further configured to,in accordance with a determination that the unoccupied location is notadjacent to six application icons, enable maintenance (e.g., with themaintenance enabling unit 2620) of the display of the plurality ofapplication icons.

In some embodiments, transitioning the display of the plurality ofapplication icons to the determined configuration reduces a sum of thedistances of the application icons from the origin of the hexagonalgrid, excluding the distance of the first application icon.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2606 is further configured todetect (e.g., with the detecting unit 2610) a first input on thetouch-sensitive surface unit 2604, and in response to detecting thefirst input, cause (e.g., with the causing unit 2622) the processingunit 2606 to operate in the user interface reconfiguration mode.

In some embodiments, the first input is a first contact detected at aposition corresponding to one of the plurality of application icons.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2606 is further configured todetermine (e.g., with the determining unit 2614) whether the duration ofthe first contact exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the processingunit 2606 is caused to operate in the user interface reconfigurationmode in response to detecting the first input and in accordance with adetermination that the duration of the first contact exceeds thepredetermined threshold.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2606 is further configured to,in response to detecting the first input and in accordance with adetermination that the duration of the first contact does not exceed thepredetermined threshold, launch (e.g., with the launching unit 2624) theapplication program corresponding to the application icon at theposition of the contact.

In some embodiments, the first input is the user contact.

In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive surface unit 2604 comprises oneor more sensors to detect the intensity of contacts with thetouch-sensitive surface unit 2604, and the processing unit 2606 isfurther configured to detect (e.g., with the detecting unit 2610) afirst touch on the touch-sensitive surface unit 2604, determine (e.g.,with the determining unit 2614) whether the touch has a characteristicintensity above a threshold intensity, and in accordance with adetermination that the characteristic intensity is above the thresholdintensity, cause (e.g., with the causing unit 2622) the processing unit2606 to operate in the user interface reconfiguration mode.

The operations described above with reference to FIG. 18 are,optionally, implemented by components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B or FIG.26. For example, displaying operation 1802, detecting operations 1804,1806, and 1810, translating operation 1808, determining operations 1812and 1814 are, optionally, implemented by event sorter 170, eventrecognizer 180, and event handler 190. Event monitor 171 in event sorter170 detects a contact on touch-sensitive display 112, and eventdispatcher module 174 delivers the event information to application136-1. A respective event recognizer 180 of application 136-1 comparesthe event information to respective event definitions 186, anddetermines whether a first contact at a first location on thetouch-sensitive surface (or whether rotation of the device) correspondsto a predefined event or sub-event, such as selection of an object on auser interface, or rotation of the device from one orientation toanother. When a respective predefined event or sub-event is detected,event recognizer 180 activates an event handler 190 associated with thedetection of the event or sub-event. Event handler 190 optionally usesor calls data updater 176 or object updater 177 to update theapplication internal state 192. In some embodiments, event handler 190accesses a respective GUI updater 178 to update what is displayed by theapplication. Similarly, it would be clear to a person having ordinaryskill in the art how other processes can be implemented based on thecomponents depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B.

In accordance with some embodiments, FIG. 27 shows a functional blockdiagram of an electronic device 2700 configured in accordance with theprinciples of the various described embodiments. The functional blocksof the device are, optionally, implemented by hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software to carry out the principles of thevarious described embodiments. It is understood by persons of skill inthe art that the functional blocks described in FIG. 27 are, optionally,combined or separated into sub-blocks to implement the principles of thevarious described embodiments. Therefore, the description hereinoptionally supports any possible combination or separation or furtherdefinition of the functional blocks described herein.

As shown in FIG. 27, an electronic device 2700 includes a display unit2702 configured to display a graphic user interface, a touch sensitivesurface unit 2704 configured to receive contacts, and a processing unit2706 coupled to the display unit 2702 and the touch-sensitive surfaceunit 2704. In some embodiments, the processing unit includes a displayenabling unit 2708, a detecting unit 2710, a translation enabling unit2712, a determining unit 2714, a transition enabling unit 2716, andoptionally, a causing unit 2718, and a launching unit 2720.

The processing unit 2706 is configured to enable display (e.g., with thedisplay enabling unit 2708) of, on the display unit 2702, a plurality ofapplication icons in a user interface reconfiguration mode forreconfiguring the application icons on the display unit 2702, theapplication icons arranged in a first configuration, where theapplication icons occupy respective locations on a hexagonal grid inrelation to an origin, and where the application icons havecorresponding ranks based on their respective locations in relation tothe origin. The processing unit 2706 is further configured to detect(e.g., with the detecting unit 2710) a user contact on thetouch-sensitive surface unit 2704 at a first position corresponding to afirst application icon at a first location on the hexagonal grid; whilecontinuing to detect the user contact, detect (e.g., with the detectingunit 2710) movement of the user contact from the first position to asecond position without a break in contact of the user contact on thetouch-sensitive surface unit 2704, the second position corresponding toa second application icon at a second location on the hexagonal grid; inresponse to detecting movement of the user contact from the firstposition to the second position: enable translation (e.g., with thetranslation enabling unit 2712) of the display of the first applicationicon from the first location to the second position, determine (e.g.,with the determining unit 2714) a second configuration of theapplication icons based on the first location and the second location,and enable transition (e.g., with the transition enabling unit 2716) ofthe display of the application icons from the first configuration to thesecond configuration, where, in the second configuration, no applicationicon except the first application icon is displaced by more than onelocation relative to the first configuration, and enabling transition ofthe display of the application icons from the first configuration to thesecond configuration comprises moving the display of the secondapplication icon to a third location adjacent to the second location andmoving a display of a third application icon to the first location froma fourth location adjacent to the first location.

In some embodiments, the rank corresponding to an application icon isthe minimum number of discrete steps along locations on the hexagonalgrid that can be taken to move from the origin to the location of theapplication icon.

In some embodiments, application icons having a rank in the firstconfiguration lower than the rank of the first location and lower thanthe rank of the second location are displayed in the same location inthe second configuration as in the first configuration.

In some embodiments, the second location has a higher rank than thefirst location, and the third location has a lower rank than the secondlocation.

In some embodiments, the fourth location has a higher rank than thefirst location.

In some embodiments, the fourth location has a rank equal to the rank ofthe first location.

In some embodiments, the second location has a rank equal to the rank ofthe first location, and the third location has a rank equal to the rankof the second location.

In some embodiments, the fourth location has a rank equal to the rank ofthe first location.

In some embodiments, the second location has a rank less than the rankof the first location.

In some embodiments, the third location has a rank greater than the rankof the second location, and the fourth location has a rank equal to therank of the first location.

In some embodiments, the third location has a rank equal to the rank ofthe second location, and the fourth location has a rank less than therank of the first location.

In some embodiments, the third location and the fourth location are thesame.

In some embodiments, the third location and the fourth location aredifferent.

In some embodiments, the second configuration does not include anunoccupied location that is adjacent to six application icons.

In some embodiments, the second configuration does not include anapplication icon that is adjacent to less than two other applicationicons.

In some embodiments, if the first location is not the origin, theapplication icon positioned at the origin in the first configuration ispositioned at the origin in the second configuration.

In some embodiments, in the first configuration and the secondconfiguration, there is no application icon that is adjacent only toapplication icons of equal or higher rank.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2706 is further configured todetect (e.g., with the detecting unit 2710) a first input on thetouch-sensitive surface unit 2704, and in response to detecting thefirst input, cause (e.g., with the causing unit 2718) the processingunit 2706 to operate in the user interface reconfiguration mode.

In some embodiments, the first input is a first contact detected at aposition corresponding to one of the plurality of application icons.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2706 is further configured todetermine (e.g., with the determining unit 2714) whether the duration ofthe first contact exceeds a predetermined threshold, where theprocessing unit 2706 is caused to operate in the user interfacereconfiguration mode in response to detecting the first input and inaccordance with a determination that the duration of the first contactexceeds the predetermined threshold.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2706 is further configured 2706to, in response to detecting the first input and in accordance with adetermination that the duration of the first contact does not exceed thepredetermined threshold, launch (e.g., with the launching unit 2720) theapplication program corresponding to the application icon at theposition of the contact.

In some embodiments, the first input is the user contact.

In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive surface unit 2704 comprises oneor more sensors to detect the intensity of contacts with thetouch-sensitive surface unit 2704, and the processing unit 2706 isfurther configured to detect (e.g. with the detecting unit 2710) a firsttouch on the touch-sensitive surface unit 2704, determine (e.g., withthe determining unit 2714) whether the touch has a characteristicintensity above a threshold intensity, and in accordance with adetermination that the characteristic intensity is above the thresholdintensity, cause (e.g., with the causing 2718) the processing unit 2706to operate in the user interface reconfiguration mode.

The operations described above with reference to FIG. 19 are,optionally, implemented by components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B or FIG.27. For example, displaying operation 1902, detecting operations 1904and 1906, and translating operation 1908 are, optionally, implemented byevent sorter 170, event recognizer 180, and event handler 190. Eventmonitor 171 in event sorter 170 detects a contact on touch-sensitivedisplay 112, and event dispatcher module 174 delivers the eventinformation to application 136-1. A respective event recognizer 180 ofapplication 136-1 compares the event information to respective eventdefinitions 186, and determines whether a first contact at a firstlocation on the touch-sensitive surface (or whether rotation of thedevice) corresponds to a predefined event or sub-event, such asselection of an object on a user interface, or rotation of the devicefrom one orientation to another. When a respective predefined event orsub-event is detected, event recognizer 180 activates an event handler190 associated with the detection of the event or sub-event. Eventhandler 190 optionally uses or calls data updater 176 or object updater177 to update the application internal state 192. In some embodiments,event handler 190 accesses a respective GUI updater 178 to update whatis displayed by the application. Similarly, it would be clear to aperson having ordinary skill in the art how other processes can beimplemented based on the components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B.

In accordance with some embodiments, FIG. 28 shows a functional blockdiagram of an electronic device 2800 configured in accordance with theprinciples of the various described embodiments. The functional blocksof the device are, optionally, implemented by hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software to carry out the principles of thevarious described embodiments. It is understood by persons of skill inthe art that the functional blocks described in FIG. 28 are, optionally,combined or separated into sub-blocks to implement the principles of thevarious described embodiments. Therefore, the description hereinoptionally supports any possible combination or separation or furtherdefinition of the functional blocks described herein.

As shown in FIG. 28, an electronic device 2800 includes a display unit2802 configured to display a graphic user interface, a touch sensitivesurface unit 2804 configured to receive contacts, and a processing unit2806 coupled to the display unit 2802 and the touch-sensitive surfaceunit 2804. In some embodiments, the processing unit includes a displayenabling unit 2808, a detecting unit 2810, a causing unit 2812, andoptionally, a removal enabling unit 2814 and an update enabling unit2816.

The processing unit 2806 is configured to enable display (e.g., with thedisplay enabling unit 2808) of one or more application icons in ahexagonal arrangement, detect (e.g., with the detecting unit 2810) afirst input on the touch-sensitive surface unit 2804, and in response tothe first input, cause (e.g., with the causing unit 2812) the processingunit 2806 to operate in a user interface reconfiguration mode forreconfiguring the application icons on the display unit 2802 and cause(e.g., with the causing unit 2812) the display of the first applicationicon to fluctuate in size.

In some embodiments, the fluctuation includes an oscillation about anaverage size.

In some embodiments, the display of the first application iconfluctuates between a first size and a second size.

In some embodiments, the center of the first application icon remainsfixed on the display unit 2802 during the fluctuation.

In some embodiments, the displayed size of the first application iconcontinues to fluctuate while the processing unit 2806 remains in theuser interface reconfiguration mode.

In some embodiments, the fluctuation in size is animated to simulatethat the first application icon is pulsing.

In some embodiments, when the processing unit 2806 is operating in theuser interface reconfiguration mode, the first application icon includesa deletion region indicating that the application icon is deletable.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2806 is further configured todetect (e.g., with the detecting unit 2810), while the processing unit2806 is in the a user interface reconfiguration mode, a second inputcorresponding to a selection of the deletion region, and in response todetecting the second input, enable removal (e.g., with the removalenabling unit 2814) of the display of the first application icon.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2806 is further configured todetect (e.g., with the detecting unit 2810), while the processing unit2806 is in the a user interface reconfiguration mode, a second inputcorresponding to a selection of the deletion region and, in response todetecting the second input, enable display (e.g., with the displayenabling unit 2808) of a deletion confirmation affordance.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2806 is further configured todetect (e.g., with the detecting unit 2810) a third input correspondingto a selection of the deletion confirmation affordance, and in responseto detecting the third input, enable removal (e.g., with the removalenabling unit 2814) of the display of the first application icon.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2806 is further configured todetect (e.g., with the detecting unit 2810), while the processing unitis in the user interface reconfiguration mode, a fourth input, and inresponse to detecting the fourth input, cause (e.g., with the causingunit 2812) the processing unit 2806 to exit the user interfacereconfiguration mode.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2806 is further configured todetect (e.g., with the detecting unit 2810), while the processing unit2806 is in the a user interface reconfiguration mode, a user contact onthe touch-sensitive surface unit 2804 at a first position correspondingto a first application icon; while continuing to detect the usercontact, detect (e.g., with the detecting unit 2810) movement of theuser contact from the first position to a second position without abreak in contact of the user contact on the touch-sensitive surface unit2804; and in response to detecting the movement of the user contact,enable display (e.g., with the display enabling unit 2808) of anenlarged view of a portion of the displayed screen, wherein the portionincludes an area surrounding the second position.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2806 is further configured toenable updating (e.g., with the update enabling unit 2816) of thedisplay of the enlarged view as the user contact is moved along thetouch-sensitive surface unit 2804.

In some embodiments, the enlarged view includes a circular display ofthe portion of the displayed screen.

In some embodiments, the enlarged view is displayed above the secondposition on the touch-sensitive surface unit 2804.

The operations described above with reference to FIG. 20 are,optionally, implemented by components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B or FIG.28. For example, displaying operation 2002, detecting operation 2004,and causing operation 2006 are, optionally, implemented by event sorter170, event recognizer 180, and event handler 190. Event monitor 171 inevent sorter 170 detects a contact on touch-sensitive display 112, andevent dispatcher module 174 delivers the event information toapplication 136-1. A respective event recognizer 180 of application136-1 compares the event information to respective event definitions186, and determines whether a first contact at a first location on thetouch-sensitive surface (or whether rotation of the device) correspondsto a predefined event or sub-event, such as selection of an object on auser interface, or rotation of the device from one orientation toanother. When a respective predefined event or sub-event is detected,event recognizer 180 activates an event handler 190 associated with thedetection of the event or sub-event. Event handler 190 optionally usesor calls data updater 176 or object updater 177 to update theapplication internal state 192. In some embodiments, event handler 190accesses a respective GUI updater 178 to update what is displayed by theapplication. Similarly, it would be clear to a person having ordinaryskill in the art how other processes can be implemented based on thecomponents depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B.

In accordance with some embodiments, FIG. 29 shows a functional blockdiagram of an electronic device 2900 configured in accordance with theprinciples of the various described embodiments. The functional blocksof the device are, optionally, implemented by hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software to carry out the principles of thevarious described embodiments. It is understood by persons of skill inthe art that the functional blocks described in FIG. 29 are, optionally,combined or separated into sub-blocks to implement the principles of thevarious described embodiments. Therefore, the description hereinoptionally supports any possible combination or separation or furtherdefinition of the functional blocks described herein.

As shown in FIG. 29, an electronic device 2900 includes a display unit2902 configured to display a graphic user interface, a touch sensitivesurface unit 2904 configured to receive contacts, and a processing unit2906 coupled to the display unit 2902 and the touch-sensitive surfaceunit 2904. In some embodiments, the processing unit includes a displayenabling unit 2908, a detecting unit 2910, a determining unit 2912, anda removal enabling unit 2914.

The processing unit 2906 is configured to enable display (e.g., with thedisplay enabling unit 2908) of one or more application icons in ahexagonal arrangement, detect (e.g., with the detecting unit 2910), onthe touch-sensitive surface unit 2904, a touch corresponding to aselection of a first application icon corresponding to a respectiveapplication; determine (e.g., with the determining unit 2912) whetherthe touch has a characteristic intensity above a threshold intensity;and in accordance with a determination that the characteristic intensityis above the threshold intensity, enable removal (e.g., with the removalenabling unit 2914) of the display of the selected icon.

The operations described above with reference to FIG. 21 are,optionally, implemented by components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B or FIG.29. For example, displaying operation 2102, detecting operation 2104,determining operation 2106, and removing operation 2108 are, optionally,implemented by event sorter 170, event recognizer 180, and event handler190. Event monitor 171 in event sorter 170 detects a contact ontouch-sensitive display 112, and event dispatcher module 174 deliversthe event information to application 136-1. A respective eventrecognizer 180 of application 136-1 compares the event information torespective event definitions 186, and determines whether a first contactat a first location on the touch-sensitive surface (or whether rotationof the device) corresponds to a predefined event or sub-event, such asselection of an object on a user interface, or rotation of the devicefrom one orientation to another. When a respective predefined event orsub-event is detected, event recognizer 180 activates an event handler190 associated with the detection of the event or sub-event. Eventhandler 190 optionally uses or calls data updater 176 or object updater177 to update the application internal state 192. In some embodiments,event handler 190 accesses a respective GUI updater 178 to update whatis displayed by the application. Similarly, it would be clear to aperson having ordinary skill in the art how other processes can beimplemented based on the components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B.

In accordance with some embodiments, FIG. 30 shows a functional blockdiagram of an electronic device 3000 configured in accordance with theprinciples of the various described embodiments. The functional blocksof the device are, optionally, implemented by hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software to carry out the principles of thevarious described embodiments. It is understood by persons of skill inthe art that the functional blocks described in FIG. 30 are, optionally,combined or separated into sub-blocks to implement the principles of thevarious described embodiments. Therefore, the description hereinoptionally supports any possible combination or separation or furtherdefinition of the functional blocks described herein.

As shown in FIG. 30, an electronic device 3000 includes a display unit3002 configured to display a graphic user interface, a touch sensitivesurface unit 3004 configured to receive contacts, and a processing unit3006 coupled to the display unit 3002 and the touch-sensitive surfaceunit 3004. In some embodiments, the processing unit includes a displayenabling unit 3008, a detecting unit 3010, a determining unit 3012, anda removal enabling unit 3014.

The processing unit 3006 is configured to enable display (e.g., with thedisplay enabling unit 3008) of one or more application icons in ahexagonal arrangement; detect (e.g., with the detecting unit 3010), onthe touch-sensitive surface unit 3004, a first touch; determine (e.g.,with the determining unit 3012) whether the touch has a characteristicintensity above a threshold intensity; and in accordance with adetermination that the characteristic intensity is above the thresholdintensity, enable display (e.g., with the display enabling unit 3008) ofa deletion confirmation affordance.

In some embodiments, the deletion confirmation affordance correspondswith a first application icon, and the processing unit 3006 is furtherconfigured to detect (e.g., with the detecting unit 3010) a second touchcorresponding to a selection of the deletion confirmation affordance;and in response to detecting the second touch, enable removal (e.g.,with the removal enabling unit 3014) of the display of the firstapplication icon.

In some embodiments, the electronic device is a wearable electronicdevice.

The operations described above with reference to FIG. 22 are,optionally, implemented by components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B or FIG.30. For example, displaying operations 2202 and 2206, detectingoperation 2204, and determining operation 2206 are, optionally,implemented by event sorter 170, event recognizer 180, and event handler190. Event monitor 171 in event sorter 170 detects a contact ontouch-sensitive display 112, and event dispatcher module 174 deliversthe event information to application 136-1. A respective eventrecognizer 180 of application 136-1 compares the event information torespective event definitions 186, and determines whether a first contactat a first location on the touch-sensitive surface (or whether rotationof the device) corresponds to a predefined event or sub-event, such asselection of an object on a user interface, or rotation of the devicefrom one orientation to another. When a respective predefined event orsub-event is detected, event recognizer 180 activates an event handler190 associated with the detection of the event or sub-event. Eventhandler 190 optionally uses or calls data updater 176 or object updater177 to update the application internal state 192. In some embodiments,event handler 190 accesses a respective GUI updater 178 to update whatis displayed by the application. Similarly, it would be clear to aperson having ordinary skill in the art how other processes can beimplemented based on the components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B.

The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has beendescribed with reference to specific embodiments. However, theillustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modificationsand variations are possible in view of the above teachings. Theembodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the techniques and their practical applications. Othersskilled in the art are thereby enabled to best utilize the techniquesand various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

Although the disclosure and examples have been fully described withreference to the accompanying figures, it is to be noted that variouschanges and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in theart. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as beingincluded within the scope of the disclosure and examples as defined bythe appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device, comprising: atouch-sensitive display; one or more processors; and memory storing oneor more programs configured to be executed by the one or moreprocessors, the one or more programs including instructions for:displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, a user interface including aplurality of application icons for launching application programs,wherein the plurality of application icons include a first applicationicon displayed at a first size and a second application icon displayedat a second size, the first and second application icons arranged in afirst arrangement; while displaying the user interface, detecting a setof one or more user inputs; and in response to the set of one or moreuser inputs, rearranging the first and second application icons into asecond arrangement, different than the first arrangement, whereinrearranging the first and second application icons includes: displayingthe first application icon at a third size, greater than the first size;and displaying the second application icon at a fourth size, greaterthan the second size.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein therearrangement from the first arrangement to the second arrangementincludes moving the first application icon from a first location to asecond location, different than the first location.
 3. The electronicdevice of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more inputs includes: afirst input corresponding to a request to operate the user interface ina reconfiguration mode; and a second input directed at the firstapplication icon.
 4. The electronic device of claim 1, the one or moreprograms further including instructions for: detecting user inputcorresponding to a request to exit a reconfiguration mode; and inresponse to detecting the user input, exiting the reconfiguration mode.5. The electronic device of claim 4, the one or more programs furtherincluding instructions for: after exiting the reconfiguration mode,displaying the first application icon at the first size and the secondapplication icon at the second size.
 6. A method, comprising: at anelectronic device with a touch-sensitive display: displaying, on thetouch-sensitive display, a user interface including a plurality ofapplication icons for launching application programs, wherein theplurality of application icons include a first application icondisplayed at a first size and a second application icon displayed at asecond size, the first and second application icons arranged in a firstarrangement; while displaying the user interface, detecting a set of oneor more user inputs; and in response to the set of one or more userinputs, rearranging the first and second application icons into a secondarrangement, different than the first arrangement, wherein rearrangingthe first and second application icons includes: displaying the firstapplication icon at a third size, greater than the first size; anddisplaying the second application icon at a fourth size, greater thanthe second size.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the rearrangementfrom the first arrangement to the second arrangement includes moving thefirst application icon from a first location to a second location,different than the first location.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein theset of one or more inputs includes: a first input corresponding to arequest to operate the user interface in a reconfiguration mode; and asecond input directed at the first application icon.
 9. The method ofclaim 6, the method further comprising: detecting user inputcorresponding to a request to exit a reconfiguration mode; and inresponse to detecting the user input, exiting the reconfiguration mode.10. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising: after exitingthe reconfiguration mode, displaying the first application icon at thefirst size and the second application icon at the second size.
 11. Anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or moreprograms configured to be executed by one or more processors of anelectronic device with a touch-sensitive display, the one or moreprograms including instructions for: displaying, on the touch-sensitivedisplay, a user interface including a plurality of application icons forlaunching application programs, wherein the plurality of applicationicons include a first application icon displayed at a first size and asecond application icon displayed at a second size, the first and secondapplication icons arranged in a first arrangement; while displaying theuser interface, detecting a set of one or more user inputs; and inresponse to the set of one or more user inputs, rearranging the firstand second application icons into a second arrangement, different thanthe first arrangement, wherein rearranging the first and secondapplication icons includes: displaying the first application icon at athird size, greater than the first size; and displaying the secondapplication icon at a fourth size, greater than the second size.
 12. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein therearrangement from the first arrangement to the second arrangementincludes moving the first application icon from a first location to asecond location, different than the first location.
 13. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein theset of one or more inputs includes: a first input corresponding to arequest to operate the user interface in a reconfiguration mode; and asecond input directed at the first application icon.
 14. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, the one ormore programs further including instructions for: detecting user inputcorresponding to a request to exit a reconfiguration mode; and inresponse to detecting the user input, exiting the reconfiguration mode.15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, theone or more programs further including instructions for: after exitingthe reconfiguration mode, displaying the first application icon at thefirst size and the second application icon at the second size.